Israel’s parliament voted 71–13 on Wednesday in favour of a non-binding motion that urges the government to extend Israeli sovereignty to the occupied West Bank, including the Jordan Valley. Although the text does not carry the force of law, it calls on the cabinet to apply Israeli legislation to the entire territory, effectively amounting to annexation. The motion was introduced by ultranationalist lawmakers Simcha Rothman, Dan Illouz and Oded Forer and was strongly backed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who described the area as “an inseparable part of the historical homeland of the Jewish people.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party and other right-wing factions supported the measure; centre-left and Arab parties opposed it. Wednesday’s vote follows a similar symbolic resolution passed last year and comes as European and Arab states intensify discussions on recognising Palestinian statehood. More than three-quarters of UN member states now recognise Palestine, a trend Israeli officials have cited in justifying calls for unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank.