Israel’s parliament has given preliminary approval to a controversial bill seeking to apply Israeli law to the occupied West Bank — a move widely seen as tantamount to annexation of land Palestinians claim for a future state.
The bill, which passed its first reading by a narrow vote of 25–24, marks the first of four stages required for full passage. The proposal coincided with the visit of U.S. Vice President JD Vance to Israel, coming a month after former President Donald Trump declared he would not permit Israeli annexation of the territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party did not back the legislation, which was introduced by lawmakers outside his ruling coalition. A separate opposition bill proposing the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement passed its preliminary reading with a 31–9 vote.
While the Likud refrained from supporting the measure, several coalition members — including those from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism faction — voted in favour. Analysts note that even if the legislation advances, it would still face a lengthy and contentious legislative process.
Calls for formal annexation have long circulated within Netanyahu’s coalition, which argues that Israel has historical and biblical claims to the territory. However, the United Nations’ International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation and settlement activities in Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, are illegal and should be withdrawn.
Israel disputes that characterization, maintaining that the areas captured in the 1967 war are “disputed” rather than “occupied.”
The renewed legislative push follows growing diplomatic tension after several Western nations recognised a Palestinian state in September. While Netanyahu’s government reportedly considered annexation as a response, the idea appeared shelved after Trump’s strong opposition.
Netanyahu has remained publicly noncommittal on annexation since dropping a similar election pledge in 2020, opting instead to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
The UAE, which remains Israel’s key Arab partner, reiterated this week that annexation of the West Bank represents a “red line.”
Senior Emirati official Anwar Gargash, speaking at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, said the Gulf state believed its diplomatic engagement with Israel had helped avert annexation efforts in the past.
