West Bank crisis deepens: Scandalous vote in Israeli parliament

While the repercussions of the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip continue, a new move from the Israeli parliament is set to spark controversy. A bill providing for the formal annexation of Palestinian territories in the occupied West Bank by Jewish settlers was approved by a majority vote in a preliminary reading in the parliament.

According to information in the Israeli press, 24 members of parliament voted "no" and 25 voted "yes" on the bill. It was stated that the regulation, introduced by far-right Noam Party member Avi Maoz, aims to "establish the status of these areas as an integral part of the sovereign State of Israel, and for Israel to apply its own laws and sovereignty to the settlement areas in the West Bank."

NARROWER BILL ALSO PASSED

Another more limited bill, prepared by Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Liberman and involving the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement in the West Bank, also passed in parliament with 32 votes to 9. The Israeli press reported that the bills must pass three more votes in parliament to become law, and that the proposals have been sent to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for detailed review. Additionally, there have been comments suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not approve the enactment of these regulations.

TIMING DRAWS ATTENTION

It did not go unnoticed that these bills, which aim for the formal annexation of illegal Israeli settlements, were voted on during the visit to Israel by U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance, U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

News Source: İHA