Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) stated at Monday morning’s meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he strongly opposes the idea of annexing Judea and Samaria, citing a direct threat from the Trump White House discouraging any future attempt to do it.

“I heard this morning Miki Zohar from Likud talking about an initiative to impose Israeli sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria,” Liberman told the committee, adding, “I’m starting to receive phone inquiries from around the world about this. I want to make clear – we should separate from the Palestinians, not absorb Palestinians in our own area. It’s 2,700,000 Palestinians.”

On Sunday, MK Zohar presented in a panel discussion on i24News his plan for allowing the PA Arabs to live in a Jewish one-state, with full civil rights, save for the right to vote for the Knesset.

“I’m not even talking about us being attacked over the fact that [these annexed Arabs] would not be granted voting rights. Even if they only receive residency, it means that from day one Israel would have to pay them $5.5 billion for Social Security alone. Which is why this approach is wrong and the coalition better clarify in no uncertain terms that there is no intent to impose Israeli sovereignty on Judea and Samaria.

“We received a direct message from the US, that imposing sovereignty on Judea and Samaria would mean an immediate crisis with the US. So, anyone looking to start a crisis with the US and also spend $5.5 billion, let them go ahead.”