A bill seeking to apply Israeli criminal and various civil laws to communities located in Area C of Judea and Samaria passed its first reading in the Knesset on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation seeks to renew a set of “emergency” regulations enacted in the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, meant to be reapproved every five years but which were last approved in 2017.
Israel’s previous government did not renew the regulations due to opposition from members of the coalition, specifically the left-wing Meretz and Islamist Ra’am parties.
However, they were automatically extended when the government fell in June, and remain in effect for three months after the date of the swearing-in of the new government.
The “Law to Extend the Emergency Regulations (Judea and Samaria—Jurisdiction and Legal Aid 5727-1967)” effectively applies Israeli jurisdiction to citizens living in Judea and Samaria, including as it relates to obligations such as paying taxes and fulfilling mandatory military service, as well as the extension of rights such as national and state health insurance.
The law also delineates the legal powers of state authorities in Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
The bill will now move to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for approval before returning to the plenum for its final two readings.
