Israel Preliminary Approval for West Bank Annexation Bill

• The Israeli Parliament (Knesset) has given preliminary approval to a bill extending Israeli law to the occupied West Bank , a move widely viewed as de facto annexation .

• The bill passed its first reading by a narrow 25–24 margin , while a separate measure on annexing the Maale Adumim settlement passed 31–9 .

• The legislation was introduced by lawmakers outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition .

• It received support from right-wing factions , including Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism bloc , but not from Netanyahu’s Likud party .

​​​​​​​ Political Context:

• The vote coincided with the visit of US Vice President JD Vance to Israel.

• It came a month after former US President Donald Trump stated Washington would not support annexation of the West Bank.

• Netanyahu has maintained strategic ambiguity on the issue to balance domestic pressures and international relations .

International Law and Reaction:

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and must end .

• The European Union , United Nations , and most of the international community consider the West Bank occupied territory under international law.

• Israel disputes this , calling the areas captured in the 1967 Six-Day War “ disputed ” rather than “occupied.”

Regional Implications:

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) , a signatory of the Abraham Accords (2020) , warned that annexation of the West Bank is a “red line.”

• UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash cautioned that such moves could strain regional relations and undermine peace normalization efforts.

Key Facts to Remember:

• The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967 .

• The Oslo Accords (1993–95) granted limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank.

• UNSC Resolution 2334 (2016) reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied territories have “no legal validity.”