Jewish Home chairman, Science Minister Daniel Hershkowitz, explained on Wednesday afternoon his decision to be absent from the vote on the Regulation Law, despite his clear commitment earlier to vote in favor of it.

"Since the struggle over the Regulation Law had already been decided, after I received meaningful commitments from the prime minister regarding strengthening of settlements and following requests from several leaders of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria not to take part in the vote – I decided to be absent from the vote," he said.

"We had become a lone voice in the wilderness, and so we decided not to jump headfirst into an empty pool," Hershkowitz said, mixing his metaphors for maximum impact.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly promised Hershkowitz to approve 400 housing units in Efrat and another 100 units in Karnei Shomron.

In addition, Hershkowitz will be appointed as the Prime Minister´s substitute in the new Ministerial Committee on Settlement that Netanyahu has said he will head. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 06/06/12)