With much less excitement than last time, and without causing the government to collapse, also like last time under then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Knesset, or those MKs that bothered to show up, voted to extend the Judea & Samaria Regulation Law for another five years, on Tuesday.
The extension, whose full name is “Law to Extend the Emergency Regulations (Judea and Samaria—Jurisdiction and Legal Aid 5727-1967)” was passed with a whopping 39-12 vote in its third reading. There are 120 Knesset members who could have voted.
As Israel has not yet applied full sovereignty over most of Judea and Samaria, the law is needed for the purpose of applying Israeli law on Israeli citizens who live in Judea and Samaria. Without it, Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria wouldn’t have to pay taxes, receive Bituach Leumi, or have to do military service, to name some examples.
The current extension will be in effect until February 15, 2028, and hopefully this will be the last time it’s needed, as Israeli sovereignty will be applied over the region before the vote comes up again.
