Knesset approves West Bank Annexation!
Jerusalem, Oct 22 (EFE).—
The Israeli parliament on Wednesday approved, in a preliminary reading, a bill to annex the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, with 25 votes in favor and 24 against.
“Two bills approved in preliminary reading — one for application of sovereignty to Judea and Samaria settlement regions and the other for application of sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim,” the Knesset announced on its official X account.
The bill to apply sovereignty to the territories of Judea and Samaria was approved by a majority of 25 to 24.
The measure still requires three additional votes before it can become law. The bill proposes “to stipulate that the law, jurisdiction, administration and sovereignty of the State of Israel will apply to all the settlement regions in Judea and Samaria” to make these regions an “inseparable part of the sovereign State of Israel.”
The proposal was introduced by Avi Maoz, leader of the far-right Noam party, who told parliament that “the Lord, blessed be He, gave the people of Israel the Land of Israel,” a reference to the concept of “Greater Israel,” which excludes the existence of Palestinian territories.
The vote coincided with the visit of US Vice President JD Vance, who is in Israel to review the ceasefire plan for Gaza with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior military officials.
“It is time to apply full sovereignty over all the territories of Judea and Samaria, the heritage of our ancestors, and to promote peace from a position of strength,” wrote Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right settler leader, on X.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also a far-right settler, echoed the sentiment. “The time for sovereignty is now!”
Both ministers had urged Netanyahu in mid-September to proceed with the annexation of the West Bank, following the recognition of the State of Palestine by more than a dozen countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Also on Wednesday, the Knesset plenum voted to approve in preliminary reading the Application of Sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim Bill, 2025, sponsored by MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beitenu) and a group of Mks.
In the vote, 32 MKs supported the bill, versus nine who opposed it, and the bill will be turned over to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for deliberation.
The bill proposes that the law, jurisdiction, and administration of the State of Israel will apply to the area of Ma’ale Adumim.
“Ma’ale Adumim is an Israeli city that reflects the mosaic of Israeli society. It represents the broadest consensus within Israeli society,” Liberman said.
“In terms of applying sovereignty, it is best to proceed based on the widest possible national consensus; to seek agreement and national resilience. We should begin with areas such as Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Gush Etzion, and the Jordan Valley.”
The West Bank lacks territorial continuity, with Gaza governed by Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), led by Mahmoud Abbas, administering parts of the West Bank.
Under the Oslo Accords, Area C, about 60 percent of the West Bank, remains under full Israeli military and civil control.
The region is also dotted with hundreds of Israeli checkpoints and a permit system that severely restricts the movement of Palestinians between cities and prevents many from entering Jerusalem. EFE
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