Israeli Knesset backs West Bank annexation in symbolic vote

Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank in what was a symbolic vote in the Knesset on Wednesday afternoon.

MKs voted 71-13 in favour of the non-binding motion, which called on the government to apply Israeli law over the entirety of the Palestinian territory.

"This is our land," said Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a lawmaker in Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

"We are the original first natives of this piece of land. Jews cannot be the ‘occupier’ of a land that for 3,000 years has been called Judea," said Ohana.

The motion was put forward by several ultranationalist politicians including Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, Likud MK Dan Illouz and Yisrael Beiteinu MK Oded Forer.

It describes the land as "an inseparable part of the historical homeland of the Jewish people".

"This move would make it clear to the world that Israel will not accept solutions that involve dangerous territorial concessions, and that it is omitted to its future as a secure Jewish state," the motion says.

The Knesset backed a similar non-binding motion last year, with lawmakers voting 68-9 in favour of imposing Israeli sovereignty over the territory.

The call comes amid rising pressure on Israel's closest allies to recognise a Palestinian state.

France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair a UN conference on the two-state solution at the end of July, which is intended to inject new momentum in the political process and pave the way for an independent Palestinian state.

France, the UK, Australia and Canada have been in discussions about potentially recognising Palestine, with French president Emmanuel Macron encouraging his western allies to make the move together.

Israeli officials have responded by threatening to annex large parts of the West Bank.

More than three-quarters of UN member states now recognise Palestine as an independent state.

Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Norway recognised Palestinian statehood in 2024. Mexico became the 147th country to recognise it in March this year.