The Israeli Knesset has provisionally approved a bill aimed at applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, which is effectively seen as a proposal for annexation of territories claimed by Palestinians for statehood.
This vote is the first of four necessary steps for the bill’s passage and coincided with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to Israel. This follows a month after President Donald Trump stated that he would not permit Israel to annex the West Bank.
The bill was not supported by the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and it was approved by a narrow majority of 25 votes to 24, out of the 120 Knesset members.
Another piece of legislation proposed by an opposition party, which seeks to annex the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, gained parliamentary approval by a margin of 31 votes to 9.
Some coalition members from Netanyahu’s government, including the Jewish Power party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the Religious Zionist bloc led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, voted in favor of the bill, which requires a lengthy legislative process for final approval.
Calls for Annexation
Members of Netanyahu’s coalition have been advocating for the formal annexation of parts of the West Bank, which they claim have religious and historical ties to Israel.
Israel asserts that the territories occupied during the 1967 war are not legally considered occupied, instead classifying them as disputed territories. However, the United Nations and much of the international community view them as occupied land.
In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court, ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and its settlements there, is unlawful and that Israel must withdraw as soon as possible.
Netanyahu’s government was contemplating annexation in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by a number of its Western allies in September; however, it appears to have backed off following Trump’s objections.