U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the Knesset's move toward the annexation of the West Bank would threaten President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza.
Rubio is expected to arrive in Israel Thursday as part of a wider American effort to ensure implementation of the ceasefire and stabilization agreement, which includes the planned deployment of an international force in Gaza. “Countries outside the Middle East are prepared to contribute to the international stabilization force,” Rubio said, adding that the repression Hamas inflicts on Palestinians in Gaza is "horrifying.”
The legislation drawing Rubio’s criticism was introduced by MK Avi Maoz, head of the far-right Noam party. It passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset by a narrow margin of 25 to 24, despite a direct request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw the proposal. The vote took place while U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance was in Israel, and its passage is seen as diplomatically embarrassing for Netanyahu, especially after former President Donald Trump explicitly stated last month that Israel would not be permitted to annex the West Bank under his plan.
Adding to the tension, an additional sovereignty bill—this one introduced by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman—was also approved in a preliminary reading. That bill seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank city of Ma’ale Adumim.
Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein voted in favor of Liberman’s bill, in defiance of his party’s stance. As a result, he was dismissed from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which he had chaired until his removal from the post in July.
Reacting to the developments, an Israeli official described the atmosphere between Jerusalem and Washington as increasingly "frantic." “They’re going full bore,” the official said, adding that U.S. involvement in the region has reached unprecedented intensity. “They are determined not to let the agreement fall apart.”