The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, passed a non-binding motion on Wednesday calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, a move widely condemned by Palestinians and international legal experts as a violation of international law.

The motion, approved by a vote of 71–13, was introduced by right-wing lawmakers including Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), Dan Illouz (Likud), and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu). It calls for applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley—biblical terms used by Israeli officials to refer to the West Bank.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana defended the measure, declaring: “In 1967, the occupation did not begin—it ended. Our homeland was returned to its rightful owners. Jews cannot be the occupiers of a land that for 3,000 years has been called Judea.”

Although the motion has no legal force, it signals a growing push within Israel’s ruling coalition to formalize control over the territory, where over 500,000 Israeli settlers live among 3 million Palestinians.

The vote comes amid heightened international pressure to recognize a Palestinian state, with countries like France, the UK, Canada, and Australia reportedly considering joint recognition efforts.

In response, Israeli officials have threatened to annex large parts of the West Bank, a move that critics say would end prospects for a two-state solution and entrench a system of legal and political inequality.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in July 2024 that Israel must revoke laws favoring occupation, dismantle settlements, and evacuate settlers, declaring the occupation of the West Bank illegal under international law.

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