A majority of 71 out of 120 Knesset members on Wednesday passed a non-binding resolution in favor of applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
Only 13 lawmakers voted against the resolution, submitted by Dan Illouz (Likud), Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu).
“Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley are an inseparable part of the Land of Israel—the historic, cultural and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people,” the preamble to the resolution states.
“Centuries and millennia before the establishment of the modern state, the forefathers and prophets of the nation lived and acted in these regions,” it continues. “Here, the foundations of Jewish faith and culture were laid. Cities like Hebron, Shechem (Nablus), Shiloh and Beit El are not merely historical sites—they are living expressions of the continuous Jewish presence in the land.”
The motion was passed as a Hatza’a l’Seder Yom, or “Suggestion for discussion on the agenda,” a parliamentary tool equivalent to a resolution that does not obligate the government to act on its content.
“For the first time ever, the Knesset is expressing official support for the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The message that came out of the plenary is clear: Judea and Samaria are not a bargaining chip—they are the heart of our country,” Illouz told JNS.
“This is not a symbolic statement but the beginning of a national decision. The world does not respect evasions, but a clear stand on our right to the Land of Israel. The time for sovereignty has come,” he added.
Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, said approval of the proposal again demonstrates broad support for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
“It is clear and undeniable evidence of the national will to realize our values and our right to our land,” he said. “This vote is a significant milestone on the path toward advancing the strategic step that will fortify the security of the entire State of Israel.
“I now call on the government of Israel: Turn this decision into reality on the ground,” Ganz said.
Supporters hailed the resolution as a historic development and urged the government to move forward with its implementation.
“Years of activity, statements, rallies, conferences, articles, journals, programs and proposals have ripened into the historic parliamentary step we witnessed today,” the Sovereignty Movement, which was founded in 2010 by activists Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover, said in a statement.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—as well as the previous one—has reportedly considered applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, or at least the Jordan Valley, on several occasions. Anticipation for such a move peaked in 2020, shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump and Netanyahu unveiled the Abraham Accords.
The Knesset vote was condemned on Thursday by nine Islamic and Arab countries in a joint statement published by the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Palestinian Authority. “strongly” condemned the call for “so-called” Israeli sovereignty.
“They consider it a blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant breach of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,” according to the statement.
In a separate statement, P.A. deputy head Hussein al-Sheikh slammed the Knesset motion as a “direct assault on the rights of the Palestinian people but also a dangerous escalation that undermines the prospects for peace, stability, and the two-state solution based on negotiation.
“These unilateral Israeli actions blatantly violate international law and the ongoing international consensus regarding the status of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank,” he wrote.
‘International diktats regarding a permanent settlement’
Hundreds of Israelis, including ministers and lawmakers, gathered at the Knesset on Monday for a summit focused on advancing sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The Sovereignty Conference—an initiative of MKs Illouz, Keti Shitrit, Moshe Passal, Ariel Kallner and Avichai Boaron—was meant to pressure the government to immediately extend Israeli law over territories Jerusalem liberated during the 1967 Six-Day War.
On May 28, Israel’s parliament passed a non-binding declaration of support for sovereignty. The measure was put to a vote when only 15 coalition lawmakers were present in the Knesset plenum.
on Feb. 21, 2024, the Knesset voted 99-11 to back a Cabinet decision to reject any unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood. All coalition members and most lawmakers from the Zionist opposition parties voted to support the Cabinet statement against “international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.”
The Israeli government has recently warned some key European nations that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state could prompt Jerusalem to extend sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria.
The Netanyahu government has led an unprecedented drive to expand Jerusalem’s control of Judea and Samaria, reportedly approving 41,709 housing units and 50 new Jewish communities since December 2022.
