The Knesset recently considered a bill that would declare the Jewish state’s sovereignty over the West Bank. While the idea is gaining traction on the Israeli right, Efraim Inbar argues that it is a bad one, and a distraction from more pressing matters:
The Jewish state’s enforcement agencies have difficulty trying to enforce the country’s decisions within Israel’s sovereign territory. Only some of the government’s decisions are actually carried out. Tens of thousands of demolition orders of illegally built homes [by Palestinians] remain written on paper without being implemented. There are even some areas in the country where police officers hesitate to exercise their authority. In other words, Israel suffers from a governance problem that stems from the political system’s lack of resolve. The politicians try to avoid confrontations that carry political repercussions, and there are not enough policemen or inspectors for effective law enforcement. This phenomenon is the result not of a lack of sovereignty but of governance shortcomings.
Therefore, without effective governance, there is no point in deciding to expand the domain of Israeli sovereignty. Even today, the Israeli government has the necessary legal authority to prevent illegal home construction in Area C, [the part of the West Bank that, pursuant to the Oslo Accords, is under direct Israeli control]. . . . Yet Israel refrains from demolishing many illegal buildings in Area C. . . .
Declaring sovereignty over Judea and Samaria also exceeds the limits of the Israeli consensus. Applying Israeli law in Judea and Samaria does not command the support of the majority of Israelis, . . . [unlike] the consensus on applying Israeli law to the Old City in Jerusalem and to the Golan Heights.
Read more on JNS: https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-demand-for-sovereignty-over-judea-and-samaria-is-a-waste-of-zionist-energy/