The Israeli Foreign Minister Informs Washington of His Country's Intention to Discuss Imposing Sovereignty over the West Bank

The Hebrew site "Walla" revealed that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar informed his American counterpart Marco Rubio, during their recent meeting in Washington, that the Israeli government is considering preliminary steps to declare its sovereignty over the West Bank.

The site clarified that the meeting, which took place last Thursday, addressed this sensitive issue, although the official statement issued after the meeting did not directly refer to it and only mentioned discussions related to the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, and the Iranian file.

The site reported from informed sources that there is a near consensus within the ruling coalition to move forward with this step, but the disagreement revolves around its motives: some parties see it as a "ideological necessity," while others consider it a political response to the increasing international recognition of the State of Palestine.


Gideon Sa'ar had previously criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to adopt a decision to impose sovereignty, emphasizing that this matter is an "internal Israeli affair." His remarks came during an event commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of one of the settlements in the West Bank.

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu proposed in January 2020, following the announcement of the "Deal of the Century" by former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, a plan to apply Israeli law to settlements in the West Bank, the Jordan Valley, and the northern Dead Sea, describing it at the time as a "historic achievement" with clear American support.


These developments come at a time when the region is witnessing rapid regional and international transformations, while the political settlement process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority remains stagnant, amid warnings that any unilateral steps could lead to a new wave of escalation.