Israeli Knesset Approves Proposal to Annex Occupied West Bank

SadaNews - The Israeli Knesset approved, this evening, Wednesday, a proposal calling on the Israeli government to "impose Israeli sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank, including all of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.

This "declarative" proposal is considered symbolic and non-binding legally; however, according to its sponsors, it carries "political weight" in pushing toward future practical steps that the occupation authorities may take in the West Bank.

The proposal aims to strengthen the idea of annexation and thwart any future attempts to establish a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, by entrenching the "historic right" of Jews to the West Bank.

The proposal was approved by a majority of 71 Knesset members, with only 13 opposing votes.
Members of all coalition parties voted in favor, including representatives from the "Shas" party, which recently withdrew from the government.

The proposal bears the signatures of three Knesset members from the ruling coalition parties: Simcha Rothman from the "Religious Zionism" party, Limor Son Har Melech from the "Otzma Yehudit" party, and Dan Illouz from the Likud party led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

The text of the proposal outlines what it considers the "natural, historical, and legal right of the Jewish people over all of the Land of Israel," stating that "Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley" (i.e., the occupied West Bank) are "an integral part of the Land of Israel," and that "the establishment of a Palestinian state poses an existential threat to Israel."

The resolution includes a direct call for the Israeli government to "act without delay to impose sovereignty – law, judiciary, and Israeli administration – over all areas of Jewish settlement in all its forms in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley."

The proposal emphasizes that this step "will strengthen the State of Israel and its security, and prevent any doubt regarding the Jewish people’s fundamental right to peace and security in their homeland."

The resolution concludes with a call to "Israel's friends around the world" to "stand by the return of Zion and the realization of the prophets' vision," and to support "the natural, historical and legal right of the State of Israel in the Land of Israel, and impose sovereignty over it," according to its wording.

This vote is viewed as an additional step in the Israeli right's trajectory toward solidifying a gradual annexation project, following a recent overwhelming Knesset vote against the establishment of a Palestinian state, in a move seen as a clear political message to the international community.

This move comes as part of a systematic policy adopted by the current government, focusing on intensifying settlement activities and legislating laws aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank, thereby reinforcing the reality of de facto annexation.