Jerusalem/Islamabad – Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a controversial bill seeking to apply Israeli sovereignty to the occupied West Bank, a move widely condemned as tantamount to annexation and a grave breach of international law.

On October 22, 2025, the Knesset voted 25–24 in favor of the proposal, marking the first of four readings required for it to become law. The bill, introduced by far-right opposition lawmaker Avi Maoz of the Noam party, was supported by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, including factions from Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism. Despite Likud’s official stance against the bill, several members of Netanyahu’s coalition broke ranks to vote in favor. The Knesset’s official statement described the bill as an effort “to apply the sovereignty of the State of Israel to the territories of Judea and Samaria (West Bank).”

The timing of the vote, coinciding with the US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel to reinforce a Gaza ceasefire, drew widespread criticism, with many calling it a deliberate provocation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington “would not support” the annexation, calling it “threatening to the peace deal” and “counterproductive.” Likud’s official response dismissed the move as “another provocation by the opposition aimed at damaging our relations with the United States,” stressing that “true sovereignty will be achieved not through showy laws, but through practical action on the ground.”

A Threat to the Two-State Solution

Annexing the occupied West Bank would effectively end any possibility of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Israel’s control of the territory, home to over three million Palestinians, has been deemed illegal under international law since its 1967 occupation. The United Nations Charter prohibits the acquisition of territory by force, while Security Council Resolution 242 calls for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. The Fourth Geneva Convention forbids an occupying power from transferring its own population into occupied lands, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has repeatedly declared Israel’s settlement activities and annexation attempts as violations of humanitarian law.

The July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion described Israel’s occupation as unlawful, citing its permanence, discriminatory policies, and annexation efforts. The court ordered the withdrawal of settlers and an end to the occupation “as rapidly as possible.” The move also undermines Palestinians’ inalienable right to self-determination, enshrined in UN General Assembly resolutions. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned Israel’s settlement expansion as a flagrant violation of international law that risks entrenching apartheid-like conditions.

Coalition Support and Religious Framing

Members of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism faction voted in favor of the bill. “The people have spoken,” Smotrich posted on X, declaring it was time to apply “full sovereignty over all the territories of Judea and Samaria, the inheritance of our forefathers.” Likud’s Yuli Edelstein defied Netanyahu and cast the decisive vote, saying, “At this moment, Israeli sovereignty throughout our homeland is the order of the day.” 

A second bill proposing the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement also passed its preliminary reading, deepening fears that Israel intends to dismantle any remaining prospects of Palestinian territorial integrity.

Regional and International Condemnation

The move drew immediate condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world. The Palestinian Authority said it “strongly rejects the Knesset’s attempts to annex Palestinian land,” asserting that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied territories. Hamas denounced the legislation as “an invalid and illegitimate attempt” to entrench colonial rule. Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the bill as a “flagrant violation of international law” and United Nations resolutions, also condemning Tel Aviv’s bid to “extend its so-called ‘sovereignty’” over parts of the Occupied West Bank while reiterating Islamabad’s support for Palestinian self-determination. 

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the bill in “the strongest terms,” while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan issued firm condemnations, calling it a blatant violation of international law and an assault on the two-state solution. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry warned that the move undermines the June 4, 1967 borders and the Palestinian right to an independent, sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.

More than 700,000 Israeli settlers already live in illegal settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Analysts warn that formal annexation would cement Israel’s control over Palestinian lands and obliterate hopes for a negotiated peace. The Knesset’s preliminary approval marks a decisive step toward transforming de facto occupation into de jure annexation, a move that, if enacted, could reshape the geopolitical and legal landscape of the Middle East.