The Israeli Knesset’s General Assembly has approved, in a preliminary reading, a bill to annex the occupied West Bank and impose so-called “Israeli sovereignty” over it.
The vote passed narrowly — 25 members in favour and 24 against — while a separate bill to annex the Ma’ale Adumim settlement received wider support, with 32 members voting in favour and 9 opposing.
A Symbolic and Public Vote
The vote on the West Bank annexation bill was conducted publicly by name, rather than electronically, in an apparent attempt to emphasise accountability.
Members of the Yesh Atid party, including its leader Yair Lapid, voted against the proposal, seeking to block it while ensuring passage of Avigdor Lieberman’s bill limited to annexing the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.
If the Israeli occupation state proceeds to annex the West Bank, this would mark the official death of the two-state solution — a principle repeatedly endorsed in United Nations resolutions as the foundation for resolving the Palestinian issue.
“Time for Sovereignty” — The Far-Right Push
Hebrew media reported that Avi Maoz, head of the far-right Noam Party, formally submitted the bill titled “Applying Israeli Sovereignty to the Territories of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)” for the Knesset’s preliminary vote on Wednesday.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority noted that Maoz rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to delay the proposal, declaring, “Israel is a sovereign state, and this is the time for sovereignty.”
According to the same report, Maoz had initially planned to submit the bill in summer 2024, but postponed it at the request of members of the governing coalition, agreeing to reintroduce it at a later stage.
Escalating Political and Diplomatic Tension
The broadcaster also reminded that in July 2024, the Knesset had already approved a non-binding declaration calling for the imposition of “Israeli sovereignty” over the West Bank and Jordan Valley, which passed by 71 votes out of 120.
However, Netanyahu’s office fears a major diplomatic crisis with Washington should the government move forward with formal annexation — as the United States strongly opposes any such step, according to the same sources.
End of the “Two-State” Illusion
The annexation bill reflects an accelerating reality on the ground — one where the Israeli occupation no longer hides its colonial ambitions. Decades of illegal settlement expansion, land confiscation, and displacement of Palestinians have already rendered a “two-state solution” practically impossible.
For Palestinians, the move represents yet another blatant attempt to legitimise occupation and erase their national identity, while the international community continues to issue statements without consequence.
Context of Ongoing Occupation
For decades, “Israel” has occupied Palestine, along with Syrian and Lebanese territories, refusing to withdraw or recognise the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital along the pre-1967 borders.
This latest move — legalising annexation under the guise of sovereignty — signals not only a defiance of international law but also an open challenge to the global order that continues to allow apartheid and occupation to persist under political cover.
