The Likud faction meeting, which was supposed to convene today (Monday) following a request by 15 MKs to discuss denying the entry of Arab laborers from the YUS to work in Israeli cities, was canceled at the last minute.
Likud officials say that the cancellation, carried out by the Prime Minister's Office, was due to the publication in "Israel Hayom" of the presentation that Economy Minister Nir Barkat planned to present at the yeshiva.
This included an alternative plan to import foreign laborers from Asia and Africa as a permanent replacement for the Arab laborers.
At the end of last week, the spirits within the Likud were agitated when officials around Netanyahu were furious with Knesset members who joined the move, accusing them of joining Barakat, who intends to run against Netanyahu for the leadership of the Likud.
Palestinian laborers entering the land to work, photo: AFP
Members of Knesset in the party reported that they received angry phone calls and text messages from Netanyahu's people following the publication, some of whom clarified that they disavow Barakat and that they did not know that there was a connection between the initiative for a factional discussion on the Knesset issue of the Arab workers and Barakat.
It should be emphasized that the group of MKs that initiated the discussion, and even signed the MKs, did not say at any stage that they were doing this for Barkat.
At the same time, the same group turned to Barakat after delivering the signatures to the Prime Minister and the leader of the faction, and asked him to present an alternative plan for the Arab workers.
The members of the faction directed the bulk of their criticism towards the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, who openly stated that the introduction of Arab workers from the Jewish Community to work within the boundaries of the Green Line is an urgent security need. Bezalel Smotrich, voted a few weeks ago against the Workers' Knesset. All this, contrary to the position of the heads of the security establishment, including the IDF and Shin Bet.
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