Israeli right-wing lawmakers postponed their intent to table the Ma’ale Adumim annexation bill at a Knesset committee which they declared they would present on Sunday March 4.
According to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz on Saturday Likud member of the Knesset (MK) Yoav Kisch and Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich claimed on Friday that at the behest of premier Benjamin Netanyahu they would postpone putting the annexation bill to the Knesset’s ministerial committee for legislation until the following Sunday March 12.
The proposed legislation which calls for annexing the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem and Israel’s sovereignty has been strongly condemned by the international community.
It has already been postponed several times in recent months.
The Orthodox-nationalist Jewish Home party has long backed legislation that would enable Israel to annex large parts of the West Bank starting with Ma’ale Adumim.
The controversial bill has been supported by Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett as an initiative backed by the government coalition.
Home to some 40000 settlers in east of Jerusalem Ma’ale Adumim is widely believed in Israel to be included in any future land swap deals that could be part of a peace treaty with the Palestinians.
However critics warn that extending Israeli sovereignty to Ma’ale Adumim and a vast tract of land known as E-1 between Jerusalem and the settlement would effectively separate the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
