In a historic move, the Knesset narrowly approves Avi Maoz’s sovereignty bill for Judea and Samaria, reigniting Israel’s commitment to full national self-determination.
In a dramatic and defining moment for the State of Israel, the Knesset on Wednesday approved in a preliminary reading a bill proposed by Noam Party Chairman MK Avi Maoz to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria — by a razor-thin majority of one vote.
The landmark decision — 25 in favor, 24 opposed — represents the first official parliamentary step toward affirming Israel’s biblical, historical, and legal rights to the heartland of the Jewish nation.
Notably, Likud MKs abstained or were absent from the vote following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to postpone the measure amid diplomatic sensitivity. The only Likud member to defy the instruction was MK Yuli Edelstein, who voted in favor, declaring:
“I just voted in favor of applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Especially at this time, Israeli sovereignty over all parts of our homeland is the order of the day. As someone who has fought for the Land of Israel throughout my years in this building, I call on all Zionist factions to support this path.”
Members of United Torah Judaism — Yitzchak Goldknopf, Yisrael Eichler, and Yaakov Tesler — also voted in favor, while Blue and White and Shas lawmakers, like Likud, were absent from the plenum. Party sources later confirmed that disciplinary action may be taken against Edelstein for breaking ranks in support of the bill.
In a parallel vote, a sovereignty bill over the city of Ma’ale Adumim, introduced by MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), passed by an even wider margin of 32–9, signaling a growing parliamentary appetite for asserting Israeli governance across strategic settlement blocs.
Ahead of the vote, MK Avi Maoz made an impassioned appeal from the podium:
“Settlement in the Land of Israel is our connection to ourselves as a people. We call for the immediate application of Israeli sovereignty and law over Judea and Samaria. Since the government has hesitated, it is our duty as Knesset members to act.”
Predictably, the bill faced sharp criticism from Arab lawmakers, with MK Ahmad Tibi (Ta’al) claiming, “Even your admired leader, Trump, opposes annexation… There is a reality in which more than 150 countries recognize Palestine.”
Still, the symbolic passage of Maoz’s bill marks a watershed moment — a bold assertion of Israel’s eternal rights in Judea and Samaria, where the biblical story of the Jewish people began.
Analysts say that even as the bill faces procedural hurdles ahead, its passage reflects a growing national consensus that security, history, and destiny demand Israeli sovereignty over its ancestral heartland.
