Netanyahu with Jordan Valley sovereignty map
Netanyahu with Jordan Valley sovereignty mapFlash 90

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Wednesday afternoon that he would push to normalize the status of an Israeli town in the Jordan Valley – an area Netanyahu promised to annex if reelected.

Speaking at the Knesset Wednesday afternoon, Netanyahu said that he would seek a government decision next Sunday to normalize the town of Mevo’ot Yericho, a small town of nearly 200, outside of the Palestinian Authority-controlled city of Jericho, in the Jordan Valley area on Israel’s eastern border with Jordan.

"On Sunday I intend to take another step and bring for government decision Mevo'ot Yericho,” said Netanyahu.

The Prime Minister said the move would be the ‘next step’ towards annexing the area, after he vowed to do so during a press conference Tuesday in Ramat Gan.

“It is the next step towards applying sovereignty. It’s the right thing to do and that's what needs to be done, and that's what the people want us to do. But the people can only express their opinion if they come to the polls en mass and vote Likud.”

“The people will only make their decision felt if we can prevent the elections from being stolen,” Netanyahu continued, referencing the Likud’s warnings that without a new law enabling election observers to film voting areas, voter fraud could radically alter the outcome of next Tuesday’s election.

“The only way to implement the policies I announced and prevent theft of elections is to come en mass to the polls."

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that if he wins an additional term as premier, he would apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea region shortly after forming his new government.

"We are on the eve of the elections. President Trump said he will present his Deal of the Century few days after the election and it is just around the corner. This presents us with a great challenge and a great opportunity to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria and other areas," Netanyahu said.

"There is one place that Israeli sovereignty can be applied immediately after the elections if Israeli citizens let me in. Today I announce my intention to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea," he declared.

Netanyahu added that at a later stage, after the US has presented its Middle East peace plan, Israel would apply sovereignty to all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.