Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Vows to Annex Parts of the West Bank if He Wins Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex part of the West Bank if he is named victorious in next week’s election.

In a controversial move, Netanyahu said he would enforce Israeli sovereignty over the region if he is successful in forming the next government. “If I receive from you, citizens of Israel, a clear mandate to do so… today I announce my intention to apply with the formation of the next government Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea,” he said, according to the BBC.

Israel’s long-standing leader, who had ruled unanimously for over a decade, went on to note that this area of the West Bank was the “one place where we can apply Israeli sovereignty immediately after the election.”

The Prime Minister, using geographical terms taken from the Bible, declared that this was a “historic opportunity, a one-time opportunity, to extend Israeli sovereignty on our settlements in Judea and Samaria, and also on other important regions for our security, for our heritage, and for our future,” according to TIME magazine.

Palestinian leaders have responded with frustration, noting that Netanyahu’s intentions completely decimate any potential peace deal and are a violation of international law. “Israel’s unprecedented culture of impunity, enabled by international inaction, is the…