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The Israeli Knesset has just made a move that reverberates far beyond the chamber’s walls. On Wednesday, 71 of its 120 members passed a non-binding resolution endorsing Israeli sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. Only 13 dissented. This is no mere parliamentary gesture; it is a bold assertion of historical truth and national resolve, rooted in a reality too often obscured by the obfuscations of international diplomacy.
The resolution, spearheaded by Dan Illouz (Likud), Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit), and Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu), declares with unapologetic clarity: "Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley are an inseparable part of the Land of Israel, the historic, cultural and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people."
It goes further, anchoring this claim in the deep soil of history: "Centuries and millennia before the establishment of the modern state, the forefathers and prophets of the nation lived and acted in these regions. Here, the foundations of Jewish faith and culture were laid. Cities like Hebron, Shechem (Nablus), Shiloh and Beit El are not merely historical sites, they are living expressions of the continuous Jewish presence in the land."
This was a Hatza'a l'Seder Yom, a "suggestion for discussion" in Knesset parlance, a resolution that carries no legal obligation but sends a signal as clear as a desert sunrise. Illouz, speaking to JNS, minced no words: "For the first time ever, the Knesset is expressing official support for the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The message that came out of the plenary is clear: Judea and Samaria are not a bargaining chip—they are the heart of our country."
This was a Hatza'a l'Seder Yom, a "suggestion for discussion" in Knesset parlance, a resolution that carries no legal obligation but sends a signal as clear as a desert sunrise. Illouz, speaking to JNS, minced no words: "For the first time ever, the Knesset is expressing official support for the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The message that came out of the plenary is clear: Judea and Samaria are not a bargaining chip—they are the heart of our country."
He pressed the point: "This is not a symbolic statement but the beginning of a national decision. The world does not respect evasions, but a clear stand on our right to the Land of Israel. The time for sovereignty has come." Here is a nation refusing to barter its heritage for the approval of a world that too often prefers platitudes to principles.
The resolution's resonance extends beyond the Knesset. Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, framed it as "clear and undeniable evidence of the national will to realize our values and our right to our land." He called the vote "a significant milestone on the path toward advancing the strategic step that will fortify the security of the entire State of Israel," before issuing a direct challenge: "I now call on the government of Israel: Turn this decision into reality on the ground." The Sovereignty Movement, founded in 2010 by Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover, hailed it as the fruit of relentless advocacy: "Years of activity, statements, rallies, conferences, articles, journals, programs and proposals have ripened into the historic parliamentary step we witnessed today."
This is not a new conversation. The Netanyahu government, like its predecessor, has toyed with sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, or at least the Jordan Valley, with expectations peaking in 2020 before the Abraham Accords shifted the regional calculus. Nor is this the Knesset's first foray. On May 28, a similar non-binding declaration passed, albeit with only 15 coalition lawmakers present. On February 21, 2024, a resounding 99-11 vote rejected unilateral Palestinian statehood, dismissing "international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians." The message is consistent: Israel will not be dictated to. The Netanyahu government’s actions, approving 41,709 housing units and 50 new Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria since December 2022, suggest a determination to cement this reality on the ground.
Yet, predictably, the international chorus of disapproval was swift. Nine Islamic and Arab states: Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE, alongside the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Palestinian Authority, issued a joint condemnation via Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. They decried the resolution as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant breach of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions."
The resolution's resonance extends beyond the Knesset. Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, framed it as "clear and undeniable evidence of the national will to realize our values and our right to our land." He called the vote "a significant milestone on the path toward advancing the strategic step that will fortify the security of the entire State of Israel," before issuing a direct challenge: "I now call on the government of Israel: Turn this decision into reality on the ground." The Sovereignty Movement, founded in 2010 by Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover, hailed it as the fruit of relentless advocacy: "Years of activity, statements, rallies, conferences, articles, journals, programs and proposals have ripened into the historic parliamentary step we witnessed today."
This is not a new conversation. The Netanyahu government, like its predecessor, has toyed with sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, or at least the Jordan Valley, with expectations peaking in 2020 before the Abraham Accords shifted the regional calculus. Nor is this the Knesset's first foray. On May 28, a similar non-binding declaration passed, albeit with only 15 coalition lawmakers present. On February 21, 2024, a resounding 99-11 vote rejected unilateral Palestinian statehood, dismissing "international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians." The message is consistent: Israel will not be dictated to. The Netanyahu government’s actions, approving 41,709 housing units and 50 new Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria since December 2022, suggest a determination to cement this reality on the ground.
Yet, predictably, the international chorus of disapproval was swift. Nine Islamic and Arab states: Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE, alongside the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Palestinian Authority, issued a joint condemnation via Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. They decried the resolution as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of international law and a flagrant breach of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions."
The Palestinian Authority’s deputy head, Hussein al-Sheikh, went further, calling it a "direct assault on the rights of the Palestinian people but also a dangerous escalation that undermines the prospects for peace, stability, and the two-state solution based on negotiation." He added: "These unilateral Israeli actions blatantly violate international law and the ongoing international consensus regarding the status of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank." One might ask: which international consensus? The one that ignores Jewish history while sanctifying every grievance against it?
This vote follows a Sovereignty Conference on Monday, where hundreds of Israelis, including ministers and lawmakers, gathered to press for extending Israeli law over territories liberated in the 1967 Six-Day War. Organized by MKs Illouz, Keti Shitrit, Moshe Passal, Ariel Kallner, and Avichai Boaron, it was a deliberate push to force the government’s hand. Israel has also warned European nations that unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood could trigger further sovereignty moves—a diplomatic shot across the bow.
What we see here is a nation asserting its historical and moral claim against a world that often prefers Israel to shrink rather than stand tall. The resolution may not bind the government, but it lays bare a truth: Judea and Samaria are not chips to be traded in some geopolitical casino.
They are, as Illouz said, "the heart of our country." The question now is whether Israel will act on this conviction or allow the cacophony of international condemnation to drown it out. History, one suspects, is watching closely.
This vote follows a Sovereignty Conference on Monday, where hundreds of Israelis, including ministers and lawmakers, gathered to press for extending Israeli law over territories liberated in the 1967 Six-Day War. Organized by MKs Illouz, Keti Shitrit, Moshe Passal, Ariel Kallner, and Avichai Boaron, it was a deliberate push to force the government’s hand. Israel has also warned European nations that unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood could trigger further sovereignty moves—a diplomatic shot across the bow.
What we see here is a nation asserting its historical and moral claim against a world that often prefers Israel to shrink rather than stand tall. The resolution may not bind the government, but it lays bare a truth: Judea and Samaria are not chips to be traded in some geopolitical casino.
They are, as Illouz said, "the heart of our country." The question now is whether Israel will act on this conviction or allow the cacophony of international condemnation to drown it out. History, one suspects, is watching closely.
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