Israel’s parliament has given initial approval to a controversial bill seeking to extend Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank- a move widely seen as tantamount to annexation and a direct breach of international law.
The legislation narrowly passed its preliminary reading in the 120-member Knesset on Tuesday by a 25-24 vote, despite opposition from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ruling Likud party, reports Reuters and Al Jazeera.
The measure, one of four votes required before becoming law, will now head to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee for further review.
According to a Knesset statement, the bill aims “to apply the sovereignty of the State of Israel to the territories of Judea and Samaria (West Bank).”
The vote came just weeks after US President Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to any Israeli move to annex the West Bank. The decision coincided with a visit to Israel by US Vice President JD Vance, who is working to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Speaking in Washington before his departure, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that President Trump had “made clear” the United States would not support the Knesset’s annexation vote.
“We think it’s even threatening to the peace deal,” Rubio said, referring to Trump’s initiative to end Israel’s war on Gaza. “We think it might be counterproductive,” he added.
Likud’s press office called the move “another provocation by the opposition aimed at damaging our relations with the United States.”
“True sovereignty will be achieved not through a showy law for the record, but through proper work on the ground,” the party said.
If enacted, the annexation of the occupied West Bank would effectively eliminate any prospect of a two-state solution envisioned under numerous UN resolutions.
Likud member casts deciding vote
Members of Netanyahu’s coalition from far-right factions- including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism bloc- supported the bill.
“The people have spoken,” Smotrich wrote on X. “The time has come to apply full sovereignty over all the territories of Judea and Samaria- the inheritance of our forefathers- and to promote peace agreements … from a position of strength.”
The proposal was introduced by Avi Maoz, leader of the ultra-nationalist Noam party, which is not part of the ruling coalition.
While most Likud members abstained or were absent, veteran lawmaker Yuli Edelstein broke ranks with Netanyahu and cast the deciding vote in favour. “At this very moment, Israeli sovereignty throughout our homeland is the order of the day,” he posted on X.
A separate bill from an opposition party calling for annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement also passed its preliminary stage. In August, Israel approved a major housing project connecting Maale Adumim with Jerusalem- a development that international observers warn would destroy the viability of a future Palestinian state.
‘Blatant violation of international law’
The votes prompted swift condemnation from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Hamas, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. In a statement, the Palestinian ministry said it “strongly rejects the Knesset’s attempts to annex Palestinian land.”
“The occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, constitute a single geographic unit over which Israel has no sovereignty,” it said.
Hamas denounced the bills as reflecting “the ugly face of the colonial occupation,” declaring that “the occupation’s frantic attempts to annex West Bank lands are invalid and illegitimate.”
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the decision in “the strongest terms,” describing it as “a blatant violation of the historical rights of the Palestinian people and a challenge to international law.”
Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry expressed “complete rejection of all settlement and expansionist violations carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities,” while Jordan’s foreign ministry said the Knesset’s move was “a blatant violation of international law, an undermining of the two-state solution, and an infringement on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”
Over 700,000 Israelis currently live in settlements across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem- all of which are illegal under international law.
The UN’s top court ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including its settlement enterprise, violates international law and should end “as soon as possible.”
Netanyahu’s coalition has long pushed for annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, viewing it as a response to growing recognition of a Palestinian state by Western nations in recent months. However, the government appeared to step back after Trump warned against the move.
‘Rhetorical gesture’
Israeli political analyst Ori Goldberg described the vote as a “mainly performative” attempt by the Knesset to challenge Netanyahu’s Gaza ceasefire policy, seen by some as imposed by the United States and regional mediators.
“The Knesset today passed the preliminary stage of a bill calling for imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, which is technically supposed to resemble annexation. But that’s a rhetorical gesture,” he said.
Last month, the United Arab Emirates- which normalized ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term- warned that annexation of the West Bank would be a red line.
