- Dec 29, 2008
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave his approval on Tuesday to advance a bill that would have Israel apply sovereignty to the Jordan Valley after the US State Department reversed its stance of viewing Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal.
Netanyahu called US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision “historic” during a visit to the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank, the day after the announcement, as the UN and others condemned it.
Likud MK Sharren Haskel proposed the annexation bill weeks ago, but decided to fast-track it in light of the change in US policy.
“The bill has the prime minister’s full backing,” Haskel said.
In the days before the September 17 election, Netanyahu announced that if re-elected, he would annex the Jordan Valley, and his cabinet voted to legalize the Mevo’ot Yeriho outpost in the Jordan Valley as a new settlement.
Haskel submitted a request to exempt her bill to annex the Jordan Valley from the mandatory six-week waiting period for any new legislation so that it can go to a vote in the plenum next week. The request will be subject to a vote in the Knesset Arrangements Committee, led by Blue and White MK Avi Nissenkorn while his party’s leader Benny Gantz has the mandate to build a government.
Haskel called on Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu and Labor-Gesher to join the Likud’s efforts to annex the Jordan Valley, “in light of the one-time-only chance that we have before us” with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“I call on them to stand behind their promises and words, and vote together with the Likud on applying sovereignty,” Haskel said. “There is no reason that this important bill won’t pass in the plenum with an 80-MK majority.”
In Gush Etzion, Netanyahu said, “This is a very great day for the State of Israel and an achievement that will stand for generations.”
“The Trump administration has corrected a historical injustice and lined up with truth and justice. I thank President [Donald] Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo,” Netanyahu said as he sat at a folding table, looking out at the settler leaders who came to celebrate with him.
Netanyahu compared the policy decision with two other significant decisions Trump has taken on behalf of Israel: relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
West Bank: Netanyahu approves Jordan Valley annexation bill
The Reagan administration had also declared the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria were not illegal, and now as Democrats vying for the nomination rant and rage against Israel the Trump administration is quietly restoring sanity to the US' ME policy.
Netanyahu called US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision “historic” during a visit to the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank, the day after the announcement, as the UN and others condemned it.
Likud MK Sharren Haskel proposed the annexation bill weeks ago, but decided to fast-track it in light of the change in US policy.
“The bill has the prime minister’s full backing,” Haskel said.
In the days before the September 17 election, Netanyahu announced that if re-elected, he would annex the Jordan Valley, and his cabinet voted to legalize the Mevo’ot Yeriho outpost in the Jordan Valley as a new settlement.
Haskel submitted a request to exempt her bill to annex the Jordan Valley from the mandatory six-week waiting period for any new legislation so that it can go to a vote in the plenum next week. The request will be subject to a vote in the Knesset Arrangements Committee, led by Blue and White MK Avi Nissenkorn while his party’s leader Benny Gantz has the mandate to build a government.
Haskel called on Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu and Labor-Gesher to join the Likud’s efforts to annex the Jordan Valley, “in light of the one-time-only chance that we have before us” with US President Donald Trump’s administration.
“I call on them to stand behind their promises and words, and vote together with the Likud on applying sovereignty,” Haskel said. “There is no reason that this important bill won’t pass in the plenum with an 80-MK majority.”
In Gush Etzion, Netanyahu said, “This is a very great day for the State of Israel and an achievement that will stand for generations.”
“The Trump administration has corrected a historical injustice and lined up with truth and justice. I thank President [Donald] Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo,” Netanyahu said as he sat at a folding table, looking out at the settler leaders who came to celebrate with him.
Netanyahu compared the policy decision with two other significant decisions Trump has taken on behalf of Israel: relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
West Bank: Netanyahu approves Jordan Valley annexation bill
The Reagan administration had also declared the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria were not illegal, and now as Democrats vying for the nomination rant and rage against Israel the Trump administration is quietly restoring sanity to the US' ME policy.
