Lapid remarked that Golan \u201cshould take it back, the settlers are Israeli citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t However, opposition Labor Party MK Gilad Kariv backed Golan and appeared to criticize Lapid, saying that while the former was \u201csaying the truth,\u201d there are \u201cpoliticians who are worrying about table manners and presenting the simple truth as something radical.\u201d<\/p>\n The current coalition has transferred NIS 1 billion ($322 million) to the settlements, Kariv asserted, \u201cmoney that comes at the expense of cultural services for every Israeli citizen, at the expense of increasing the investment in the Negev and Galilee, at the expense of reducing disparities in Israeli society.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked by the media later in the day about his comments, Golan clarified that he was referring to illegal outposts and unauthorized settlement activity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe settlement blocs are part of Israel,\u201d he said after leading a faction meeting in the Knesset. \u201cThey will be, because there is no other possibility. We will strengthen settlements along the border, but there will be no illegal activity.\u201d<\/p>\n The international community \u2014 with the notable exception of the United States under President Donald Trump \u2014 considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel, which conquered the area in the 1967 Six Day War, disputes that position, citing historic ties to the region and a security imperative in holding on to it.<\/p>\n The United Nations said in December that the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank had reached its highest level since at least 2017.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s next elections are set to be held in October 2026.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tYesh Atid leader Yair Lapid at a faction meeting at the Knesset, January 12, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n
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