By : Dr. Haytham Ereifej
Jordan Daily – In a move that constitutes a serious breach of international law and a direct threat to the regional balance, the Israeli Knesset has advanced a bill to impose so-called “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank. Far from being a symbolic gesture, this legislative act aims to cement the Israeli occupation as a legal and permanent reality, violating the core legal and political foundations upon which peace agreements with both the Palestinian Authority and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were built.
Under international law, the West Bank—including East Jerusalem—is recognized as occupied territory subject to the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. This convention prohibits the occupying power from transferring its civilian population into the occupied territory and from altering its legal or administrative status. Moreover, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory have “no legal validity” and constitute a “flagrant violation” of international law.
On the bilateral front, this law directly violates the Oslo Accords—particularly Article 31 of the 1995 Interim Agreement—which clearly states:
“Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.”
Likewise, the 1994 Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty (Wadi Araba), which is grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty and adherence to international law, is now placed at risk. The unilateral extension of Israeli sovereignty over Palestinian territory with direct geographic and security implications for Jordan threatens to unravel a critical element of regional stability. It also undermines the Hashemite custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem—a role recognized and respected under international and bilateral agreements.
This move is not merely an infringement on Palestinian rights; it is a clear and present danger to Jordan’s national security. Any alteration to the territorial or legal status of the occupied areas—especially those adjacent to Jordan—disrupts the strategic equilibrium upon which the peace treaty is based. It risks transforming Jordan from a neighboring observer to a directly impacted party.
Moreover, this legislation is part of a broader policy aimed at legitimizing illegal practices such as forced displacement, land confiscation, and systematic settlement expansion—acts that amount, under international law, to war crimes rather than matters of domestic legislation.
What is urgently needed now is a decisive Arab and international stance to stop the adoption and implementation of this law before it becomes a de facto reality. The international community, especially the states sponsoring the peace process, must hold Israel accountable for its persistent undermining of a just and lasting resolution.
This is not simply a legal violation—it is a unilateral renunciation of the peace option, and a direct provocation to Israel’s neighbors, particularly Jordan.
Dr. Haytham Ereifej, is a Jordanian lawyer, politician, and the founder of Ereifej & Partners International Law Firm based in Amman.
