Israel News for 10-23-2025
News Update
A bill to annex Judea and Samaria (West Bank), introduced by MK Avi Maoz, head of the far-right Noam party, passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset by a narrow margin of 25 to 24, despite a direct request from Prime Minister Netanyahu to withdraw the proposal. A bill introduced by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman to apply Israeli sovereignty to the city of Ma’ale Adumim, also in the West Bank, was also approved in a preliminary reading.
V.P. Vance, at the tail end of his visit to Israel, was asked about the vote and responded: “When I asked about it, somebody told me that it was a political stunt that had no practical significance, it was purely symbolic. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That would continue to be our policy, and if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that, but we certainly weren’t happy about it.” He also added that he was insulted by the “stunt”.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Israel today. He also criticized the sovereignty bill, saying it would “threaten” the Gaza peace agreement and reiterating Trump’s opposition to the move.
IAF jets struck a series of Hezbollah terror targets, including a training camp, in the Bekaa area of southern Lebanon, north of the Golan. Jets also reportedly struck a Hezbollah precision missile manufacturing site in the area, as well as additional terror targets in the Sharbine area of Srobbin, in northern Lebanon.
The IDF is reportedly planning to significantly scale back the number of defense troops stationed in settlements, shifting much of the responsibility for local security to residents themselves. Knesset member Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party sent a letter to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warning against the move. He wrote, “Smaller communities with limited populations cannot reasonably fund the necessary security measures. It is unacceptable to suddenly impose such heavy financial burdens on civilians for their own protection when security is the state’s basic responsibility.” The IDF responded that no final decisions have been made yet and that: “Regardless of the final decision, communities in the Judea and Samaria region have trained and equipped standby squads, and their defensive infrastructure has been improved, alongside combat forces already deployed in the area.”
