Israeli bill to annex Ma’ale Adumim settlement

The Israeli Knesset is preparing to discuss the annexation of the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, built in the south of occupied West Bank, Quds Press reported yesterday.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Israeli sources saying that the Eretz Israel lobby in the Knesset, which is headed by Yoav Kisch from the Likud party and Bezalel Smotrich from the Jewish Home, proposed the bill.

The MKs have collected the signatures of the heads of five out of the six Knesset committees in support for the bill, which calls for the imposition of Israeli law in this illegal settlement.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that there is almost a consensus among the political echelon in Israel that this settlement must be part of Israel in any future deal.

“Unlike East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, the approval for activating the Israeli law, including planning and organisation laws, in this settlement would facilitate building more settlement units without seeking the permission of the Civil Administration [in the West Bank] of the defence minister,” the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, from the Likud, said he backed the annexation of this settlement.

“The move to annex Ma’ale Adumim is right and proper,” he wrote in a Facebook post, explaining that he was “symbolically accepting” a proposed law submitted by the Land of Israel Lobby.

“By not building there, we are distancing peace,” he added. “Reversing this trend is also important for national unity.”

MK Moti Yogev from the Jewish Home, also backed the bill: “Start with annexing Ma’ale Adumim which is the eastern gate of Israel’s capital Jerusalem and is what makes it into a metropolis.”