Occupied Jerusalem- In a move bearing deep political connotations and revealing an accelerated shift in the policies of the occupation, the Knesset, this evening, believed a proposal to impose “Israeli sovereignty” on the occupied West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, with a majority of 71 votes compared to only 13 oppositions.
Although the proposal is symbolic and not legal binding, it carries a clear political nature in terms of timing and content, and is seen as an advanced step towards the gradual annexation of the West Bank, and devoting a new reality that actually prepares any possibility to establish an independent Palestinian state.
The text of the proposal is not satisfied with confirming what Israel calls “the historical right of the Jews in the land of Israel”, but rather goes to the extent that the West Bank – or “Jews and Samaria” as it is called biblical – “an integral part of the land of Israel” and that the establishment of a Palestinian state in these lands constitutes an “existential threat” to Israel.
Israeli analyzes gather that the proposal is paved for an actual annexation, and expanding sovereignty in the West Bank, by law and field policies, including undermining the Palestinian Authority and reviving “villages ties” with an Israeli civil administration.
According to Israeli readings, the proposal paved the gradual dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, to replace it with local civilian structures subject to Israeli control, and not only to expand settlement.
Politically, the move is seen as a last screw in the coffin of the two -state solution, as it eliminates any possibility for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, and the Palestinian ambition is reduced to a limited self -rule under a comprehensive Israeli control.
Imposed
“Although the proposal does not have a binding legal status, it is only a large majority, and with the participation of the ruling coalition and the opposition alike, it reflects a growing consensus within the Israeli political establishment to reject the idea of Palestinian sovereignty, and seek to thwart any future efforts leading to a political settlement or a two -state solution,” says the Knesset correspondent in the newspaper “Haaretz” as a Spiegel type.
Spiegel indicated that the vote reflects the consistency of Israeli policies while folding the “peace process” page and turning the conflict into a reality imposed by force, based on a biblical and settlement novel.
She pointed out that the proposal sends a message to the international community that Israel is no longer a substitute for international legitimacy or international law, and adheres to unilateral legislation to resolve the future of the West Bank.
She explained that the coalition members finally continued to push towards enacting laws aimed at implementing the Israeli law on the West Bank, at a time when the settlements administration of the Ministry of Defense systematically operates on what you call “imposing sovereignty.”
Parallel, settlers ascend their campaigns to evacuate sponsors from regions under the Category (C) – according to Spiegel – which reflects an actual shift in the fait accompli policy. Thus, the campaign to include settlements began to be fruitful, not only on paper, but also in the field.
Spiegel concluded that the current Israeli steps aim to “normalize and make it a national consensus,” which means restricting the efforts of any future government – even if it is moderate – and aborted the chances of resuming a real negotiating path.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlzhstvgjo
Historical
The Speaker of the Settlement “Shiites”, Yisrael Gantz, considered the Zionist majority vote in the Knesset in favor of the proposal as clear evidence of the broad popular support for the idea of imposing Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
Gantz added to the newspaper “Israel Hume” that this vote expresses “the deep national will to implement the historical values and rights of Israel” on what it considers “Jewish land”, and represents an important step in a strategic path that enhances the security of the state, as he described it.
Gantz called on the Israeli government to translate this decision from the symbolic level to an actual reality on the ground, stressing that this is “a critical and historical stage that may not be missed”, and that the settlements council will continue its efforts without stopping until Israeli sovereignty is fully imposed on the West Bank.
The Israeli transformation
On the other hand, among the voices opposing the proposal, the position of the “Peace Now” movement, which issued a strongly worded statement, described it as “a political and propaganda attack on the State of Israel.”
The movement’s spokesman Adam Claire described the statements of the Knesset as “hollow delusions” and reflects a gap between the government and the public rejecting settlement and the agenda of Etamar bin Ghafir and Bamliel Smotrich “Christianity”.
Claire added in the movement’s statement that “instead of undermining the national interests of Israel, the real duty of the government to end the war, ensure the restoration of all detainees, then re -authorize the people to decide their fate.”
He believes that the approval of the Knesset on the proposal “imposing sovereignty” shows that Israel is heading in a clear step towards the actual annexation of the West Bank, albeit in stages, through parallel legislative, administrative and political paths.
He concluded that this Israeli transformation is not only a threat to the future of the Palestinian issue, but rather a fundamental challenge to the international system that has long sponsored the “peace process”, without having, until now, sufficient tools to stop this slope.
The essence of the state
In an article published by the newspaper “Maariv” entitled “before talking about Judea and Samaria … sovereignty in Israel must be strengthened,” Zalaman Shufal, one of the founders of the Likud party, called for a review of the policies calling for the imposition of Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank, calling for the first -efforts to establish sovereignty within the borders of the State of Israel itself.
Shufal pointed out that “sovereignty – as the founding fathers understood – was closely related to the state’s essence, inseparable from it,” and asked if the current Knesset, with its composition and speech, actually reflects that historical vision.
He set a symbolic example of the “Independence Hall” status on Rothschild Street in Tel Aviv, a building where the establishment of the State of Israel, which is suffering today from neglect and deterioration, was announced after the restoration budget was canceled in 2023.
Shufal considered that this neglect reflects the contempt for the value of national sovereignty, and it may even reveal a deeper crisis in respecting the founding symbols of the state. He wondering that if this ignorance of the national symbolism is the result of profound intellectual changes in Israeli society – whether from the right or the left – or is it a reflection of a theological idea that considers sovereignty that is not made by humans but from divine will?
