Israeli Parliament Gives Preliminary Approval to West Bank Annexation Bill

Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill extending Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, a step viewed internationally as annexation of land Palestinians claim for a future state. The vote marks the first of four required readings before becoming law. It signals renewed tensions both domestically and abroad.

Parliamentary Vote

The Knesset passed the annexation bill by a narrow 25–24 margin, while a separate measure proposing the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement passed 31–9. The legislation, tabled by lawmakers outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, has not received support from his Likud party. However, right-wing factions within the coalition, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism bloc, backed the move.

Netanyahu’s Balancing Act and US Pressure

The vote came during a visit by US Vice President JD Vance, just a month after President Donald Trump stated that Washington would not support Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Netanyahu’s government had reportedly considered such a move in response to recent international recognition of a Palestinian state but retreated following Trump’s opposition. The Prime Minister has remained deliberately ambiguous on annexation, mindful of both domestic politics and Israel’s diplomatic relations.

International Law and Global Reactions

The United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, is illegal and must end. The vast majority of the international community, including the European Union, continues to regard these territories as occupied under international law. Israel disputes this characterisation, asserting that the areas captured in the 1967 Six-Day War are “disputed” rather than occupied.

Related GK Facts

• The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1967 Six-Day War.
• The Oslo Accords (1993–1995) established limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank.
• The Abraham Accords (2020) normalised Israel’s relations with several Arab states, including the UAE and Bahrain.
• UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the occupied territories have “no legal validity.”

Regional Implications and Arab Response

The United Arab Emirates, a key signatory to the Abraham Accords, warned that annexation of the West Bank represents a “red line” for the Gulf nation. Senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash stated at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi that the UAE believed it had previously helped avert annexation. The renewed legislative push, however, risks straining Israel’s regional ties and reigniting tensions with Arab states that had cautiously embraced diplomatic normalisation.