Why did Israel’s government lose the West Bank vote?
Israel’s government suffered a defeat at the hands of the opposition on Monday when it voted down a push to uphold Israeli law in settlements on the occupied West Bank, posing a challenge for the ruling coalition.
Why can’t Palestinians vote in Israel’s elections?
The 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank are unable to vote in Israel’s elections next week, which could determine whether it annexes parts of the occupied territory and places their dreams of an independent state even further out of reach. The Palestinians expect little change regardless of who wins. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
What is the status of the west bank under Israeli law?
Monday's vote was to renew regulations that govern how Jewish settlers are treated in the West Bank under Israeli law. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, which considers the West Bank to be occupied territory. Israel rejects that, saying the status of the West Bank is more complicated than international law allows.
Why do some left-wing Israelis oppose Israel's new law on settlements?
Because the law provides for Jewish settlers in the West Bank to be treated legally like Israelis, most left-wing and Arab members of Bennett's coalition oppose it in principle -- they are against the settlements.
Who has the right to vote in Israel?
Suffrage is universal to all Israeli citizens above the age of 18. Israeli citizens living abroad have to travel to Israel in order to vote. But voting booths are made available on Israeli ships. Elections are overseen by the Central Elections Committee, and are held according to the Knesset Elections Law.
Is the West Bank under Israeli control?
Presently, most of the West Bank is administered by Israel though 42% of it is under varying degrees of autonomous rule by the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority. The Gaza Strip is currently under the control of Hamas.
Are Israeli citizens allowed in the West Bank?
Israeli citizens are allowed freedom of movement in area C and along all main West Bank roads which connect Israeli settlements to each other and to Israel.
What is the impact of Israeli settlements in the West Bank?
Land Confiscation The Jewish settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian agricultural or grazing lands, causing the uprooting of thousands of fruit-bearing trees and leading to increasing soil erosion.
How did Israel get control of the West Bank?
In June 1967, the West Bank and East Jerusalem were captured by Israel as a result of the Six-Day War. With the exception of East Jerusalem and the former Israeli-Jordanian no man's land, the West Bank was not annexed by Israel; it remained under Israeli military control until 1982.
Is West Bank in Israel or Palestine?
The West Bank is another area of land located within the country of Israel, but it is much larger than the Gaza Strip at 2,173 sq miles.
Who can enter the West Bank?
The state of Israel considers the West Bank to be a closed military zone and therefore anyone wishing to enter or leave this area must obtain the approval of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
Can tourists go to the West Bank?
West Bank - AVOID NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL Avoid non-essential travel to the West Bank, excluding Ramallah, Jericho and Bethlehem, due to the unpredictable security situation.
What is the current status of Israeli settlements in the West Bank?
As of 2022, there are 140 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including 12 in East Jerusalem. In addition, there are over 100 Israeli illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Why is Israel entitled to the land?
Jewish religious belief defines the land as where Jewish religious law prevailed and excludes territory where it was not applied. It holds that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people based on the Torah, particularly the books of Genesis and Exodus, as well as on the later Prophets.
Was Palestine a country before Israel?
Israel Becomes a State In May 1948, less than a year after the Partition Plan for Palestine was introduced, Britain withdrew from Palestine and Israel declared itself an independent state, implying a willingness to implement the Partition Plan.
Who occupies the West Bank?
IsraelThe West Bank has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war, but decades of difficult on-off talks between Israel and the Palestinians - both of whom assert rights there - have left its final status unresolved.
When did Israel occupy the West Bank?
1967During the 1967 war, Israel occupied the West Bank and established a military administration throughout the area, except in East Jerusalem, which Israel incorporated into itself, extending Israeli citizenship, law, and civil administration to the area.
Is Jerusalem in Israel or West Bank?
City site. Jerusalem stands on hills at an elevation of 2,575 feet (785 metres). The modern unified city is the largest municipality in Israel or the West Bank and is the heart of an urban agglomeration that spills outside the city limits into adjacent areas of both jurisdictions.
Is West Bank Safe?
West Bank (excluding Bethlehem, Jericho and Ramallah) Maintain a high level of vigilance and personal security awareness, monitor local developments and follow the advice of local authorities. Tensions in some areas of the West Bank are high. Violent clashes, demonstrations and military operations occur.
What did the right wing candidates argue about the West Bank?
Right-wing candidates argued that Judea and Samaria, the biblical name they use for the West Bank, was an integral part of Israel. Candidates on the left said the failure to create a Palestinian state there would eventually lead to a one-state outcome in which Palestinians would outnumber Jews and demand the right to vote, spelling the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
How many Palestinians believe the Israeli elections will have a negative impact?
A poll released this week by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, in partnership with the German foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, found that more than 40% of Palestinians believe the Israeli elections will have a negative impact, with another 25% saying they would have no impact at all. Fewer than 20% thought the impact would depend on the outcome. The poll surveyed 1,200 people in the West Bank and Gaza and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
How many Palestinians are there in the West Bank?
Saleh is among the 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank who have no voice in choosing Israel’s next government and no control over whether it decides to annex part or all of the occupied territory, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do. With the peace process having sputtered to a halt a decade ago, they also have little hope of getting a state of their own anytime soon.
Why has the Palestinian Authority not held elections?
The Palestinian Authority’s powers are greatly limited, and it hasn’t held presidential or parliamentary elections since 2006 because of the rivalry with Hamas.
Who is Netanyahu's rival?
His main rival, former army chief of staff Benny Gantz, has boasted about his role in the 2014 war, saying he sent parts of Gaza back to the “stone age.”
Who is the leader of the Arab faction in Israel?
Ayman Odeh, leader of the main Arab faction in Israel’s parliament, has said he would consider joining a government led by Gantz depending on his political agenda, including his seriousness about pursuing peace with the Palestinians.
Has the annexation debate faded?
But that debate has faded in recent years, and has hardly featured in the campaign ahead of the Sept. 17 vote. Netanyahu’s main rivals have dismissed his talk of annexation as a campaign stunt but have not opposed it on the merits.
