Tel Aviv [Israel], October 23 (ANI): Israel's Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday that the Knesset vote on annexing the West Bank was a 'deliberate political provocation' by the opposition to 'sow discord' during US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Israel.

The statement said that the 'two bills were sponsored' by opposition members of the Knesset.

https://x.com/netanyahu/status/1981359100286927029

'The Likud party and the religious parties (the principal coalition members) did not vote for these bills, except for one disgruntled Likud member who was recently fired from the chairmanship of a Knesset committee. Without Likud support, these bills are unlikely to go anywhere,' the PMO said.

After US President Donald Trump helped broker a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel following two years of hostilities, hostages held by Hamas were released earlier this month. However, the issue of the West Bank remains unresolved.

Trump has repeatedly said that Israel will not annex the West Bank. In an interview published by Time magazine on Thursday, based on a conversation on October 15, he said he had given assurances to Arab countries that the United States would withdraw support if Israel attempted annexation.

'It won't happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can't do that now. We've had great Arab support. It won't happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. It will not happen. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,' Trump said.

He had already ruled out annexation last month, stating, 'I'm not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There's been enough. It's time to stop now.'

US Vice President JD Vance, speaking to reporters at Tel Aviv's airport before leaving Israel, called the Knesset vote a 'very stupid political stunt' and said he personally took it as an insult. 'The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel,' he said.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also criticized the move, warning that it could threaten Washington's plan to maintain a fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Rubio emphasized that the US cannot support any unilateral steps toward annexation.

The bill passed in a preliminary reading with a 25-24 vote. It now moves to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee and must pass three more readings to become law. Its future remains uncertain because the ruling coalition does not back it, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has the power to delay or block it, as per Times of Israel.

Palestinian authorities condemned the vote, saying Israel has no sovereignty over the West Bank. The territory has been occupied by Israel since 1967 and is claimed by Palestinians as part of a future independent state.

The International Court of Justice has previously stated that Israel's occupation of the West Bank is illegal under international law. The vote occurred during US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Israel to support the Gaza ceasefire and oversee US-led stabilization and reconstruction efforts. During his visit, Vance inaugurated a civilian military coordination center in southern Israel, where around 200 US troops are working alongside the Israeli military. (ANI)