The Israeli Knesset’s recent vote to repeal parts of a 2005 law banning Israelis from entering and residing in four communities in the northern West Bank has sparked controversy. The move was sponsored by Yuli Edelstein, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s National Liberal Movement/Likud party and was approved with a 31-18 vote. However, the bill must still be approved by an Israeli military commander for enforcement. The bill effectively reverses clauses of the 2005 Disengagement Law that called for the evacuation of four settlements in the northern West Bank. Previously, Israeli citizens were not allowed into the evacuated areas unless they received permission from the Israeli military, but the new bill allows them to return to any of the four settlements. The Biden administration has criticized the move, calling it a violation of commitments Israel made to the United States. Additionally, EU officials have condemned the vote and are calling for the new law to be revoked. Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank have been escalating and becoming increasingly violent, fueling further criticism of the recent decision.
US expresses concern over Israel’s repealing of West Bank disengagement law.
