In its sitting on Wednesday, the knesset Plenum voted to approve in preliminary reading the Application of the State of Israel’s Sovereignty to Judea and Samaria Regions Bill, 2025, sponsored by MK Avi Maoz (Noam). In the vote, 25 MKs supported the bill, versus 24 who opposed it, and the bill will be turned over to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for deliberation.
It is proposed to stipulate that the law, jurisdiction, administration and sovereignty of the State of Israel will apply to all the settlement regions in Judea and Samaria.
MK Maoz, the bill’s sponsor: “The Holy One, Blessed be He gave Eretz Israel to the Jewish people. The settlement in Eretz Israel is the redemption and national revival; settlement is what makes Eretz Israel blossom after two thousand years of exile. By applying sovereignty to Judea and Samaria we are making a repair that is long overdue. Since the Government has tarried, it is our role as members of Knesset to do so.”
Minister of Education Yoav Kisch presented the Government‘s position, saying, “I am a great believer in application of sovereignty. This is a highly significant issue that must happen, and we are determined to lead to sovereignty. But this is not how sovereignty is done, through bills of the opposition. This Government is the best Government that the settlements have had. The settlements are growing, blooming and flourishing. We are creating the sovereignty on the ground every day, and not by talk. Legislation of sovereignty—its day will come too. We will lead to sovereignty together with our American partners.”
The explanatory notes to the bill state: “In the 77th year of the State of Israel’s national revival, and 58 years since the Jewish people’s return to its historical homeland regions in Judea and Samaria—by virtue of our natural and historical right, and on the basis of the UN General Assembly’s resolution, it is proposed that the State of Israel apply its laws and its sovereignty to the settlement regions in Judea and Samaria. This is in order to enshrine the standing of these regions as an inseparable part of the sovereign State of Israel.”
Also on Wednesday, the knesset plenum voted to approve in preliminary reading the Application of Sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim Bill, 2025, sponsored by MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beitenu) and a group of MKs. In the vote, 32 MKs supported the bill, versus nine who opposed it, and the bill will be turned over to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for deliberation.
The bill proposes that the law, jurisdiction, and administration of the State of Israel will apply to the area of Ma’ale Adumim.
While presenting the bill, MK Liberman said, “Ma’ale Adumim is an Israeli city that reflects the mosaic of Israeli society. It represents the broadest consensus within Israeli society. In terms of applying sovereignty, it is best to proceed based on the widest possible national consensus; to seek agreement and national resilience. We should begin with areas such as Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Gush Etzion, and the Jordan Valley.”
The explanatory notes to the bill state: “The city of Ma’ale Adumim was established in 1977, and over the years it has grown into a city of approximately 40,000 residents. The city is located about seven kilometers east of Jerusalem, along the Jerusalem–Dead Sea road, at a strategically important crossroads that is vital both for securing the route to Jerusalem and as a central area connecting the Jordan Valley, the Judean Desert, and Jerusalem. Ma’ale Adumim is situated in an area that has always been an inseparable part of the historical Land of Israel.
“There is broad agreement, both in Israel and internationally, regarding the application of Israeli sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim. It should be noted that the application of sovereignty will not significantly alter Israel’s demographic balance and will not harm the democratic character of the state,” according to the explanatory notes.
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