Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana on Sunday backed calls for Jerusalem to extend its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, saying full control over the territory was the “one and only way” to achieve peace in the region.
“These biblical, original parts of our land, which in the Bible tells the story of our people, are intended for us, for the people of Israel, need to be in the territory of the State of Israel, under the ownership of Israel, under full Israeli sovereignty,” said Ohana, a lawmaker for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party, during a visit to northern Samaria. “Today, this thing is clearer than ever,” he added.
“On the 7th of October, not only Israeli citizens were murdered but also the idea that was mistakenly called ‘the two-state solution,’” he stated, referring to Hamas’s 2023 invasion.
Ohana spoke alongside Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan at an observation point in Barkan, just outside the city of Ariel, from where it is possible to see central Israel and Ben-Gurion International Airport.
Jewish communities in the area are “not only not an obstacle to peace” but rather “our one and only way, for the people of Israel, of the State of Israel, to arrive at peace,” said Ohana.
The Knesset speaker thanked U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him “the best friend the State of Israel has had in the White House” and expressing his desire to welcome him to the Jewish state.
“For the first time, we are hearing ideas outside the box from the White House,” said Ohana. “We are waiting and looking forward to his coming to the country,” he added.
On Feb. 4, Trump told reporters in Washington that his administration would likely make an announcement on the possibility of Jerusalem annexing Judea and Samaria at some point in the coming weeks.
“We’re discussing that with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well ... [but] we haven’t been taking a position on it yet,” Trump said in remarks during a press conference with Netanyahu.
The day prior, Trump had said that Israel’s land mass was too small, but declined to say whether he’d support Judea and Samaria sovereignty.
On Thursday, the influential Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) stated that it believes that Judea and Samaria are “integral parts” of the Jewish state and that the United States should recognize its sovereignty over them.
Later this week, thousands of Christian leaders from across the United States are expected to sign a similar declaration on Israel’s “inalienable right to the biblical heartland” that will be presented to the American president.
