Likud minister says party objects to idea of annexing territory

The Likud Party objects to the idea of annexing territory proposed by Habayit Hayehudi, Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi said Saturday at a town hall-style event in Haifa. Hanegbi said, "It would be a disaster."

Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union), who also took part in the event, addressed the idea of annexing territory and said that "the powers that are demanding annexation are growing stronger and brainwashing the public with lies. Like saying that we can annex Area C and the world will agree.

"Area C comprises 60% of the territory of Judea and Samaria, and not only is there no chance of this happening, it would create a scenario like Bosnia or Syria here," Herzog said.

"I suggest that we hold an election or a referendum in May and decide whether we are prepared to annex 3 million Arabs and create an Arab-Jewish state, 'Israstan,' or not," he said.

Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett responded on Twitter to Herzog's statements.

"[Herzog], with pleasure. The referendum question: who is in favor of an Islamic State-like terrorist nation, like Gaza, five minutes from Kfar Saba-" he tweeted.

Addressing the situation of the Labor Party in light of a Channel 10 poll that predicted it would earn only eight mandates in the next election, Herzog said, "You can't think that everything is about polls. I suggest that everyone calm down. I learned from the late [President] Shimon Peres to keep going."

Herzog also touched on the growing strength of Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid in the polls, saying, "Lapid doesn't have any answers, any opinion. ... He doesn't say anything about the main issues on the agenda and he is a clear right-wing leader. So the public will wake up eventually."

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