Annexation Opposition

US officials criticized a vote by Israel’s extreme right in favor of annexing the West Bank.

Context

Israel has occupied the West Bank since capturing the territory from Jordan in the 1967 war. Palestinians claim the West Bank as part of a hoped-for independent state, and the International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israel's occupation is illegal under international law. 

Israel has built approximately 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jewish residents in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where an estimated 3.3M Palestinians also live. Israel’s right-wing calls for taking total control of the West Bank – something many Israelis reject

Annexation Bill

On Thursday, with Vice President JD Vance visiting Israel, 25 right-wing Israeli lawmakers conducted a preliminary vote toward annexing the West Bank. 49 of the Israeli parliament’s 120 lawmakers participated; 25 voted for and 24 against