What did the Knesset just vote in favor of?

The plenum votes on three different versions of a bill to authorize West Bank outposts. All three drafts had slight differences; for example, Smotrich’s stipulated that only construction that explicitly received government backing be legalized. Moalem-Refaeli’s was the first to be submitted; the other two were presented as softened versions after the attorney general took issue with her version — though Israel’s top lawyer has subsequently criticized all three.

Now, the legislation will be sent to either the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee or Constitution, Justice, and Law Committee to be revised ahead of its first reading.

To become law, the proposals will need to pass three readings in the Knesset plenum. The process is expected to be expedited due to the looming evacuation order of the Amona outpost, which must be accomplished by December 25.

— Marissa Newman