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Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to Israel last week for talks on the Gaza ceasefire, sharply criticized a Knesset vote proposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, calling it a “very stupid political stunt.” The vote, which occurred as Vance departed, sparked reactions from President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others, while some media outlets amplified the incident with headlines like “Vance Slams Israel’s Parliament” and “Frustrations Boil Over.” To understand the controversy, one must examine the complex dynamics of Israel’s Knesset and its coalition politics.
Israel’s 120-member Knesset requires a 61-vote majority to govern effectively. The current Knesset comprises 12 parties, ranging from coalitions of multiple factions to the single-seat Noam party, which initiated the controversial vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party holds 36 seats, relying on a coalition of five parties to reach the 61-seat threshold. Noam, led by its sole Knesset member Avi Maoz, is in the opposition and not part of this coalition.
Netanyahu has faced significant challenges in recent years, including unproven allegations of corruption, protests against judicial reforms, and criticism over the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, for which he has been held ultimately responsible. The ongoing Gaza war and its ceasefire, opposed by hardline coalition members like Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have further strained his leadership. Opposition parties, primarily left-leaning or Arab-led, see an opportunity to destabilize Netanyahu’s government, with Noam’s vote adding to the political turbulence.
Maoz, formerly a deputy minister in the Religious Zionist Party, split to form Noam in March 2025, citing disagreements over Jewish identity and immigration policies. Sensing a chance to undermine Netanyahu during Vance’s visit, Maoz sponsored the first reading of a bill to apply sovereignty over the West Bank—a measure requiring three additional votes to become law. The bill passed narrowly, 25-24, with support from right-wing religious parties in the coalition and a single Likud member, Yuli Edelstein, whose tiebreaking vote defied his party’s abstention strategy.
Netanyahu swiftly responded by removing Edelstein from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He also reassured President Trump and Secretary Rubio that the bill has little chance of passing into law. However, the vote highlighted the fragility of Israel’s coalition politics, where unlikely alliances can shift the balance. Current polls suggest that a no-confidence vote could trigger new elections, potentially favoring former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, now in the private sector, over Netanyahu.
While the Knesset vote may not immediately alter Israel’s policy on the West Bank, it underscores the challenges of maintaining coalition unity amid domestic and international scrutiny. For now, the incident remains a flashpoint in Israel’s polarized political landscape.
