Israel Passes West Bank Annexation Bill During Vance Visit

An Israeli soldier stands guard as Palestinians gather in protest at the site of a new road under construction for the use of Israeli settlers near the Palestinian village of Beit Ur al-Fauqahe on Sept. 29, 2025. Photo: AFP

JERUSALEM — Israel’s parliament narrowly approved the preliminary reading of a bill to apply Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, in what would amount to formal annexation of Palestinian territory, drawing swift condemnation from across the region and the international community.

According to reporting from Al Jazeera, the 25–24 vote in the 120-seat Knesset on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, came despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition and resistance from most members of his Likud party, many of whom abstained or skipped the session. The bill, sponsored by Avi Maoz, leader of the far-right Noam party, will now move to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further debate — the first of four required votes before becoming law.

A Knesset statement said the measure aims to apply “the sovereignty of the State of Israel to the territories of Judea and Samaria (West Bank).” The vote coincided with a visit to Israel by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was seeking to reinforce a fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement.

U.S. officials reiterated their opposition. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump had made clear that annexation was “not something we’d be supportive of,” warning it could jeopardize the administration’s peace plan.

Netanyahu’s Likud party denounced the move as “a provocation by the opposition aimed at damaging our relations with the United States,” adding that “true sovereignty” must be achieved through “proper work on the ground.”

Support for the bill came from far-right coalition members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who hailed the vote as a step toward asserting full control over what they call “the inheritance of our forefathers.”

A second measure, proposing the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement, also passed its initial reading.

The votes drew immediate condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and regional powers including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, all of which labeled the move a “blatant violation of international law” and a grave threat to the two-state solution.

The United Nations’ principal court ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation and settlement of Palestinian territories are illegal and must be ended “as soon as possible.” More than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Analysts in Israel described the Knesset’s move as largely symbolic political theater, reflecting frustration among lawmakers over the Gaza ceasefire and rising tensions between the government and its right-wing base.

Political analyst Ori Goldberg called the vote a rhetorical gesture — a performative rebuke to Netanyahu rather than a realistic step toward annexation.

Still, the measure underscores growing divisions within Israel’s government and intensifies international concern that the country is edging closer to permanent occupation of Palestinian land.

Previously, UOJ reported that J.D. Vance had taken a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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