In a historic move, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, recently approved a resolution affirming the nation’s symbolic rights to the land of Israel, with particular emphasis on Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley—areas widely known internationally as the “West Bank.” The vote passed with an overwhelming majority of 71 supporting and only 13 opposing.
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However, it’s important to clarify what this vote actually means. Luke Hilton from The Israel Guys emphasizes, “this is a resolution, not legislation,” explaining, “If we were talking about actually applying Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, we would be talking about either legislation or an executive order.” The resolution is a formal declaration affirming Israel’s natural and historic right to the land, calling on the government to “act promptly to extend Israeli sovereignty, including law, jurisdiction, and administration over all areas of Jewish communities in all its forms in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.”
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The language in the resolution underscores the biblical and historic significance of these lands. As the Hitlon highlights, “Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley are an inseparable part of the land of Israel, the historical, cultural and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people… Cities such as Hebron, Shiloh and Bethel are not merely historic sites. They are living symbols of the continuous Jewish presence in the Holy Land.” The resolution also connects recent security concerns to these territorial questions: “The Oct. 7th, 2023 massacre demonstrated that the establishment of a Palestinian state poses an existential threat to Israel, its citizens and the instability of the entire region.”
Member of Knesset Simcha Rothman, one of the resolution’s sponsors, was quoted in the video by Hilton saying, “Indeed, a Knesset resolution does not itself implement sovereignty. According to Israeli law, only the government using an executive order or the Knesset via formal legislation can extend Israeli law, jurisdiction, and administration.” Yet, Rothman adds, “even as a declaration, this resolution carries immense meaning… It reflects the national aspiration to realize the return to Zion and calls upon the Israeli government to act without delay by its authority to transform vision into reality.”
This video also offers important historical context. From 1948 until 1967, Jordan controlled East Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria but “didn’t invest in this territory,” leaving it “a very poor, poverty-stricken area.” Israel, after liberating the land in 1967, brought infrastructure such as electricity, water, hospitals and schools. Today, Israel exercises civil administration through its Defense Ministry, but “sovereign law… has not yet been applied.”
The Oslo Accords, which granted limited governance to the Palestinian Authority, are criticized for their failure, as Hilton explains: “The Palestinian Authority hasn’t been able to even perform basic functions such as vote in a new leader… They can’t provide water and electricity.” Furthermore, “the Palestinian Authority has violated so many tenets of the Oslo Accords,” including “paying hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to convicted murderers and terrorists.”
Addressing debates about annexation, Hilton clarifies, “It’s not annexation. Annexation is when you take territory that’s not your own and move it to your own nation… Israel acquired this territory from… in a war of self-defense… Jordan relinquished any claim that they had.” Applying Israeli sovereign law simply means “these lands can be a permanent part and be treated just the same as the rest of the nation of Israel.”
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In conclusion, while the Knesset’s resolution does not legally annex the West Bank, it marks a crucial step toward Israel officially applying sovereignty over its biblical heartland. As Hilton urges, “Israel just simply needs to take the step… It doesn’t mean going to war. It’s simply a declaration of Israeli law over the entirety of the land of Israel.”
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
