In its sitting on Wednesday, the Knesset Plenum voted in favor of a declaration calling upon the Government to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. This was within a debate that the Knesset decided to include in its agenda, on the topic of “Application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley,” initiated by MKs Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), Limor Sonn Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit) and Dan Illouz (Likud).
In the vote, 71 Members of Knesset voted in favor of the declaration, versus 13 who opposed it.
Speaker of the Knesset MK Amir Ohana (Likud): “The Knesset has made a historic declaration that supports the application of Israeli sovereignty over the homeland regions of Judea and Samaria. It is a great privilege to be the Speaker of the Knesset who says in a firm voice—this is our land and this is our home. Eretz Israel belongs to the people of Israel. In 1967 the occupation did not start, it ended. That is the historical truth, and the one and only way to reach genuine peace is from [a position of] power. We are here to stay, and the Knesset has said this by a large majority.”
Following is the wording of the proposed summary statement sponsored by the Likud, Shas, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Yisrael Beitenu, New Hope—The United Right, Noam and MK Idan Roll: “Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley are an inseparable part of Eretz Israel—the historical, cultural and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people. Hundreds and thousands of years before the state’s establishment, the forefathers and the prophets of the nation lived and acted in these regions, and the foundations of Jewish culture and faith were laid in them. Cities such as Hebron, Shechem, Shilo and Beit El are not just historical sites, they are a living expression of the continuity of Jewish existence in the land.
“Sovereignty in Eretz Israel is an inseparable part of the fulfillment of Zionism and the national vision of the Jewish people that has returned to its homeland. The massacre of Shemini Atzeret, October 7, 2023, proved that the establishment of a Palestinian state poses an existential danger to Israel, its citizens and the entire region.
“The Knesset, in its resolution on July 18, 2024, determined that it was opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, and that the establishment of such a state would pose an existential danger to the state of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region. In making [this declaration], the Knesset removed the idea of the Palestinian state from the agenda.
“The Knesset determines that the State of Israel has a natural, historical and legal right to all territories of Eretz Israel, the Jewish people’s historical homeland. The Knesset calls upon the Government of Israel to take action as soon as possible to apply sovereignty—Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration, to all expanses of Jewish settlement, including all its forms, in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
“This action will strengthen the State of Israel and its security, and will prevent any challenge to the Jewish people’s basic right to peace and security in its homeland. On behalf of the Hebrew nation sitting in Zion, we call upon our friends around the world to stand with the return to Zion and the vision of the prophets, and to support the State of Israel in its natural, historical and legal right to Eretz Israel and the application of sovereignty.”
MK Rothman: “The time has come to pursue and seek peace from power, not from weakness. Today we are bringing before the Knesset the resolution calling for sovereignty. The resolution is a moral statement and does not apply sovereignty; this is a declaration. But this declaration is of great significance, and it expresses our connection to Eretz Israel and to the cultural cradle of the Jewish people. This resolution expresses the aspiration and the demand to fulfill the return to Zion, and calls upon the Government of Israel to take action as soon as possible to turn the vision into reality. Eretz Israel belongs to the people of Israel—yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.”
MK Sonn Har Melech: “This is an important proposal, but it’s not enough. We need more than a statement. The State of Israel is desperate for actions. This is the most self-evident and the most correct measure, from a moral, historical and Zionist standpoint. This is without even mentioning the security importance. We want full sovereignty, of justice, belonging and natural ownership of the land of our forefathers. Sovereignty is not a slogan, it is a national and moral imperative.”
MK Illouz: “Today the Knesset is taking a historic step, and expressing for the first time official support for application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. No more temporary administration or control without a decisive outcome. The time has come to say clearly: Judea and Samaria are not a bargaining chip, they are the heart of our land. Sovereignty is the victory image. We cannot win in Gaza and in Iran and leave Beit El and Kedumim in doubt. We have a historic responsibility, and we are here not only to dream but also to fulfill.”
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