Israeli lawmakers have voted to advance two bills that would formally annex the West Bank, a move strongly opposed by US President Donald Trump. The decision comes as Vice President Mike Pence visited Israel this week to shore up a fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Two proposals were put forward, one seeking to annex Maale Adumim, a large Israeli settlement home to around 40,000 people just east of Jerusalem, while the other aimed at annexing the entire West Bank. The first bill passed with a vote of 32-9, with almost all lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party boycotting the vote.
Far-right ministers in Netanyahu's government have long called for the annexation of the West Bank, an ambition that has sparked intense opposition from Palestinians and international leaders. In September, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, stating it "is not going to happen."
The decision by Israeli lawmakers comes as tensions between Israel and Hamas remain high in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has held since October 2023. Vice President Pence met with Netanyahu on Wednesday, saying there is "a lot of work to do" but expressing optimism about the prospects for peace.
Palestinian officials have condemned the move, saying it represents a "blatant violation of international law." Jordan's foreign ministry also strongly condemned the vote, calling it a "grave undermining of the two-state solution."
International law considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, although Israel disputes this. In August, Netanyahu's government approved a major civilian settlement project that has been criticized as threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state.
The move comes ahead of a high-stakes meeting between Pence and Hamas officials later this week. The US has been seeking to broker a lasting peace deal in the region, with a 20-point Middle East plan recognizing the possibility of Palestinian statehood after reform efforts.
Two proposals were put forward, one seeking to annex Maale Adumim, a large Israeli settlement home to around 40,000 people just east of Jerusalem, while the other aimed at annexing the entire West Bank. The first bill passed with a vote of 32-9, with almost all lawmakers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party boycotting the vote.
Far-right ministers in Netanyahu's government have long called for the annexation of the West Bank, an ambition that has sparked intense opposition from Palestinians and international leaders. In September, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, stating it "is not going to happen."
The decision by Israeli lawmakers comes as tensions between Israel and Hamas remain high in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has held since October 2023. Vice President Pence met with Netanyahu on Wednesday, saying there is "a lot of work to do" but expressing optimism about the prospects for peace.
Palestinian officials have condemned the move, saying it represents a "blatant violation of international law." Jordan's foreign ministry also strongly condemned the vote, calling it a "grave undermining of the two-state solution."
International law considers all Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal, although Israel disputes this. In August, Netanyahu's government approved a major civilian settlement project that has been criticized as threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state.
The move comes ahead of a high-stakes meeting between Pence and Hamas officials later this week. The US has been seeking to broker a lasting peace deal in the region, with a 20-point Middle East plan recognizing the possibility of Palestinian statehood after reform efforts.
still can't believe they're doing this... like, I get that it's their country and all, but annexing the West Bank is just gonna cause so much more trouble in the long run... 
i mean, have they even thought about how it would affect the Palestinian people? 
it feels like they're just ignoring international law and making a power play at the expense of others. 
they just want to make things more complicated and give their right-wing buddies something to talk about... 
the whole thing is just so frustrating 
I don't think annexing part or all of the West Bank is a good idea, it's gonna make things super complicated and might even lead to more conflict. I get that Israel wants to expand its territory, but can't they just focus on making peace with the Palestinians instead? It's not like the US is gonna step in and save them from themselves... or is it? 
That's like, a total of 10.5 million people who could be impacted by this annexation move 
Like, in 2020 alone, the West Bank economy was worth around $3.5 billion 
The fact that only 9 lawmakers voted against annexing the entire West Bank is wild 
Like, can you even imagine?
Let's hope Pence can broker a peace deal before things get too out of hand 
. Pence should be having a serious chat with Netanyahu about this, not just making empty promises for peace 
The whole thing is so complex and frustrating...
that's like, super problematic for everyone involved. I mean, Trump already said he wouldn't let them do it and now Pence is trying to talk them down... but honestly, it feels like Netanyahu's just using this as a distraction from other issues. And what about all the Palestinians who would get displaced if they annex the West Bank? 
it's just not right.
like, I get that he's got some influence, but come on... they're supposed to be making decisions for Israel, not just following their favorite US politician. 
it's so frustrating when politics gets all messy and complicated.
that sounds like a good start... but let's be real, this stuff's been going on for ages. Maybe we'll see some progress eventually... 
And Palestine is already saying it's a blatant violation of international law... I don't think the world is just gonna take that lying down 
The fact that Netanyahu's party boycotted the vote is also pretty interesting... maybe there are some people in Israel who don't want this kind of move after all 
anyway, i hope vice president pence can actually make something happen here 
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. I just hope Pence can get everyone talking again and find some common ground 
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thinking about all the drama that's going on in the world right now... this annexation thing? it's just so... predictable 
. It's like, can't we learn from our mistakes? 
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. Can't we all just try to live in peace and understanding? 
. Plus, Trump did say no annexation back in September, so I'm not seeing what the big deal is 
. Maybe it's time to think outside the box and try something new 
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