Israel Parliament approves annexation of the West Bank and violates international law

In a decision considered explosive, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) approved this Wednesday (22) the first vote on a bill that imposes Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, effectively equivalent to the annexation of a Palestinian territory — an open violation of international law and UN (United Nations) resolutions.

The proposal, presented by deputy Avi Maoz, leader of the ultranationalist Noam party, was approved by 25 votes to 24 in the preliminary reading, in a plenary session with large abstentions from parliamentarians from Likud, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party, who formally opposed the text.

Now, the project will go to the Foreign Relations and Defense Committee for analysis, before three other votes necessary for its final approval.

Between political calculation and diplomatic confrontation

The vote takes place in a context of strong diplomatic tension, a month after US President Donald Trump publicly warned that he would not support a formal annexation of the West Bank. The move was seen as an open challenge to Washington, especially as it occurred during US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel, the aim of which was to reinforce the ceasefire in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s own party classified the vote as “an irresponsible provocation of the opposition”, warning that the gesture could jeopardize relations with the US. Even so, support for the project came from within the government base: ministers from the radical wing, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir (National Security) and Bezalel Smotrich (Finance), voted in favor.

Smotrich celebrated the result on social media, stating that “the time has come to apply total sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria — the heritage of our ancestors.”

Netanyahu isolated and pressured by his right

Although he has positioned himself against the project, Netanyahu faces growing pressure from the far right, which demands the consolidation of Israeli control over the occupied territories. The abstention of the majority of Likud deputies reflects internal discomfort: part of the group fears a diplomatic collapse with the US and Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel in the Abraham Accords.

Likud’s own parliamentarian Yuli Edelstein broke with the government and cast the decisive vote to approve the proposal. “Israeli sovereignty throughout our homeland is the order of the day,” he declared, signaling the weakening of the prime minister’s authority within his coalition.

Risk of end of the two-state solution

The eventual formal annexation of the West Bank would put an end to the viability of the two-state solution, defended by the UN and the majority of the international community as the only way out of the conflict. More than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — constructions considered illegal under international law.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed that the Israeli occupation and settlements in Palestinian territory are illegal and must be withdrawn “without delay”.

International and regional reactions

The vote provoked an immediate and harsh reaction from governments and international organizations. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated that the measure “flatly violates international law and the historic rights of the Palestinian people.”

Hamas classified the project as an expression of the “colonial face of the occupation”, while Qatar condemned the initiative “in the strongest terms”, calling it a “direct challenge to international legality”. Jordan declared that the decision “weakens the two-state solution and threatens regional stability.”

Even the United Arab Emirates, Israel’s recent allies, warned that the annexation of the West Bank would represent “a red line”, capable of compromising the Abraham Accords.

Annexation and violence on the ground

Hours after the vote, Israeli forces invaded the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, demolishing walls and expanding the military presence. The village has been a recurring target of attacks by armed settlers and army operations.

Although the project still has to go through other stages, analysts such as political scientist Ori Goldberg assess that the vote has a “performative and symbolic” character, used as political pressure against Netanyahu and as a nationalist response to the ceasefire in Gaza, considered an imposition by the US and Arab powers.

However, they warn that symbolic gestures in Israel often produce fait accompli. The expansion of settlements and the administrative integration of the West Bank are already advancing rapidly, making annexation a de facto reality, even without an official decree.

A future increasingly distant from peace

With the advancement of this project, Israel is approaching a diplomatic and moral breaking point: the consolidation of a permanent occupation regime. Annexation — even if disguised as “sovereignty” — not only violates international law, but buries the last hope of coexistence between two peoples.

If approved definitively, the law will put Israel in open confrontation with the UN, its Arab partners and even the US, deepening Netanyahu’s isolation and pushing the region into a new era of uncertainty and radicalization.