JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The chairman of the B’Yachad Party, Naftali Bennett, commented Monday evening on farms and settlement activity in Judea and Samaria, making it clear that he supports legal construction in Area C (the area under both security and civil Israeli jurisdiction in Judea and Samaria) but opposes illegal construction. Bennett added that all of areas A and B (which are not under Israel’s civil jurisdiction) are areas of illegal construction.

“As far as I’m concerned, legal construction in Area C on state land that is not privately owned Palestinian land is welcome,” Bennett said on the “HaManganon” podcast of Kan News, which is scheduled to air on Wednesday. “Construction that is illegal, or not in Area C, or on private land, is not legitimate.”

When asked whether he would work to dismantle projects established illegally, he replied:”What is illegal will not remain.”

He later added that he supports legal settlement activity in Area C because, in his view: “Ultimately, Area C will be part of the State of Israel, while Areas A and B will be part of the Palestinian autonomy.”

The remarks sparked a sharp response from Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism Party. “Now Bennett, who would be a minister in an Eisenkot government, is saying it in his own voice: he will evacuate the farms.”

Smotrich added:”Bennett says there will be a ‘Palestinian autonomy’, in other words a terrorist state in the heart of the country.”

According to Smotrich: “An Eisenkot government will establish a Palestinian terrorist state and destroy the new communities and agricultural farms. We must not allow them to form the next government.”

The head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, Israel Ganz, also criticized Bennett: “Naftali Bennett declared tonight that he supports the establishment of a terrorist state ten minutes from his home in Ra’anana. Already today, we are facing an army of about 50,000 armed personnel of the Palestinian Authority, a corrupt entity that encourages terrorism and is influenced by Iran.”

He continued: “After the massacre in the Gaza border communities, only someone ignoring reality could propose giving this army strategic territory in the heart of the country. This is political suicide and a danger to the lives of millions of Israelis. We will not allow the cities of central Israel to become the next frontline.”

Uziel Vetik, chairman of the local council of Kedumim, also responded: “Bennett’s defeatist statement proves that he is not merely left-wing, but far-left. Anyone who wants to prevent the next massacre in places like Rosh HaAyin and Ra’anana must continue advancing the farm project, which is also supported by the security establishment. They must certainly understand that the only path forward is through canceling the Oslo Accords and ending the absurd and dangerous division into Areas A, B, and C.”