Government defeats opposition bill to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank’s Jordan Valley
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
An opposition bill to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley fails 32-56 in a preliminary reading in the Knesset due to opposition by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline right-wing government.
The Jordan Valley is part of the West Bank.
While the coalition opposes the bill, MK Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, which left the government this week, votes in favor.
Several members of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party also support the measure, as did Benny Gantz’s National Unity party, while members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party vote against it.
A source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel that National Unity supports the measure because control of the Jordan Valley is a “strategic asset” and it is certain to be part of Israel under any potential future Trump administration peace plan.
Yesh Atid gave its MKs free rein to vote as they wished.
“How symbolic. The government of the [Haredi draft] evasion law is overturning the applying-sovereignty law,” writes Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman on X following the bill’s failure.
A bill to annex the West Bank brought by Yisrael Beytenu in March 2023 was also defeated by the government.
בעד החלת ריבונות בבקעת הירדן:
ישראל ביתנו
המחנה הממלכתי (כולל גנץ ואייזנקוט)
יש עתיד (כולל בן ארי, בליאק, ומיקי לוי)
וכל זה עוד לפני השיחה הראשונה עם טראמפ בנושא זה…
סיבה נהדרת לאופטימיות, עידן חדש בפתח, בע"ה! pic.twitter.com/80HD0axVc2— אורית סטרוק (@oritstrock) January 22, 2025
Asked why he opposes the bill, Religious Zionism MK Ohad Tal says, “Sovereignty must be applied after organized work in cooperation with the government, not by law in the Knesset,” and adds, “This is just trolling.”
“We can’t vote for it just because it’s right,” agrees Likud MK Tally Gotliv. “We need to do it in a way that is reasonable and at the right time,” and in cooperation with the United States.
“The opposition’s decision to push populist bills without conducting the necessary groundwork is nothing more than a political stunt,” Likud MK Dan Illouz tells The Times of Israel.
“With President Trump reelected, we have a historic opportunity to advance Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, but it must be done wisely. Rushing ahead with symbolic legislation that has no chance of progressing beyond a preliminary reading only weakens our cause and undermines Israel’s ability to act decisively.”