Israeli Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

Yesterday, the Knesset took a historic step: a declaration to work toward applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and The Jordan Valley passed by 71 votes in favour and 13 votes opposed. This development did not come out of nowhere. It followed years of ideological groundwork and it was echoed powerfully at the July 2024 Sovereignty Conference, a gathering of ministers, activists, and thought leaders calling for full Israeli sovereignty across all parts of the Land of Israel.

In a three-part series on Substack titled There Is No Victory Without Sovereignty, I documented this shift as it unfolded: in speeches, in tone, and finally in policy. This article summarizes the key arguments and moments across those three pieces and explains why Israeli sovereignty is no longer a fringe demand, but a national imperative.

Part 1: The Sovereignty Conference—A Turning Point

In Part 1, I reported from inside the 2024 Sovereignty Conference, where the message was unambiguous: the Oslo-era mindset must end. The October 7th massacre was not a rupture; it was a consequence. Without clear national ownership of Judea and Samaria, Israel invites both confusion and bloodshed.

Speakers like Nadia Matar, co-founder of the Sovereignty Movement, demanded moral clarity. Sovereignty, she argued, is not an act of aggression but of survival.

Key takeaway: The current war made it undeniable: without sovereignty, there is no security, no justice, and no future.

🡒 Read Part 1 on Substack

Part 2: Ohana and Friedman Bring the Message to the Mainstream

In Part 2, I focused on two powerful speakers: Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Knesset, and David Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Ohana declared that Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is not just legitimate; it is long overdue. Friedman challenged the failed assumptions of international diplomacy, warning that Israel must not trade sovereignty for temporary calm or conditional support.

Key takeaway: These were not ideological outliers. These were senior officials telling the truth out loud.

🡒 Read Part 2 on Substack

Part 3: From Conference Rhetoric to National Policy

Shortly after the conference, the Knesset passed a resolution calling for the application of Israeli law to Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. In Part 3, I wrote that what had once sounded like grassroots advocacy now echoed as national direction.

Speakers such as Justice Minister Yariv Levin, MK Dan Ilouz, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, and Major General (res.) Gershon Hacohen made it clear: sovereignty is not a theoretical ambition. It is a necessary next step. These were the voices of legal, military, and diplomatic figures laying ideological and strategic groundwork.

Key takeaway: The conversation has changed. The law is beginning to catch up.

🡒 Read Part 3 on Substack

Why Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria Cannot Wait

For decades, Israel was told that applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria would destroy peace negotiations and invite global condemnation. But the peace never came, and the condemnation came anyway.

The Sovereignty Movement is not asking for permission. It is asserting what already exists: Israelis live in Judea and Samaria, defend it, build it, raise children in it, and die for it. The law must reflect that reality.

This is not about annexation. It is about coherence. If the Jewish state cannot apply its own laws to its own land, then it is not sovereign. And there is no victory without sovereignty.

The wars of 1948 and 1967 were won on the battlefield. It is time to win them in law.

Read the Full Series

To go deeper into the political, historical, and ideological case for applying full Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, read the complete Substack series using the links above.