Knesset Advances West Bank Annexation Bills

Israel's Knesset advanced two bills to apply Israeli law to parts of the occupied West Bank, with a Maale Adumim annexation measure passing about 31–32 to 9 and a broader West Bank sovereignty bill clearing a preliminary 25–24 vote. The measures were driven by right-wing MPs including Avi Maoz and won support from far-right ministers Itamar Ben‑Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party urged lawmakers to abstain. The votes coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice‑President J.D. Vance and come a month after former President Donald Trump said he would not allow West Bank annexation. Critics say the bills amount to de facto annexation of territory Palestinians seek for a state and run counter to international positions that regard settlements as illegal. The legislation still requires additional readings and committee review before it could become law and has heightened tensions with the United States and within Israel’s governing coalition.