A group of government ministers from Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party have called on the Israeli prime minister to annex the West Bank by the time the Knesset rises for summer recess later this month.
The collection of 15 ministers, as well as Knesset speaker Amir Ohana, urged Netanyahu to assert what they called “Israeli sovereignty” over the territory, effectively absorbing it into the Jewish State.
“We ministers and members of Knesset call for applying Israeli sovereignty and law immediately on Judea and Samaria,” they wrote.
Judea and Samaria are the biblical names for the two main regions that make up the modern West Bank and are used officially by the Israeli government.
The petition continued: “This is the time to approve in government a decision to apply sovereignty.
"Following the State of Israel’s historic achievements in the face of Iran’s axis of evil and its sympathizers, the task must be completed and the existential threat from within must be eliminated, to prevent another massacre in the heart of the country.
"The strategic partnership, backing and support of the US and President Donald Trump have made it a propitious time to move forward with it now, and ensure Israel’s security for generations.
"The October 7 massacre proved that the doctrine of settlement blocs and the establishment of a Palestinian state in the remaining territory is an existential danger to Israel. It’s time for sovereignty.”
While the Prime Minister’s Office has not yet commented, the letter has been welcomed by some senior governmental figures.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a longtime advocate of annexation, said: “The true answer to the enemies of the State of Israel is sovereignty.
"I congratulate the Likud ministers and commit to the prime minister: on the day he gives the order—the Settlement Administration under my leadership—is ready in practice to implement the application of sovereignty immediately. Mr Prime Minister—Am Yisrael is ready.”
However, the prospect of a change in the governance of the West Bank, a large portion of which currenlty sits under the auspices of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, has drawn condemnation from abroad.
Egypt and Qatar, both of whom are mediating ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations, have rubbished the proposal.
An Egyptian government spokesperson said: “Egypt rejects the Israeli violations in the West Bank, the military incursions, arrests, and the expansion of illegal settlements.”
Any attempt to assert “sovereignty” is likely to attract criticism from the international community, which already widely regards Israel as maintaining an illegal occupation of the West Bank.
It comes after Jerusalem announced its intention to build a new power station in the territory near the Palestinian village of Rantis.
Energy Minister said the project, which will serve Israeli settlements, was “long overdue” in his announcement speech.
That itself followed confirmation by the Security Cabinet of 22 new settlements to be built in the coming months.
These will be a mix of newly-built towns, rebuilt settlements demolished as part of the 2005 disengagement and existing outposts – currently considered illegal under Israeli law – which will be granted legal status.
