Cabinet in Jordan Valley
Cabinet in Jordan ValleyHaim Zach, GPO

The cabinet on Sunday approved the prime minister’s proposal to authorize the community of Mevo’ot Yericho in the Jordan Valley, during its meeting today in the area.

The decision will enable the community, which began as a farm at the end of the 1990’s, to become a permanent and independent town.

The vote took place after the attorney general removed his opposition to holding a vote on the issue.

Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ministers Amir Ohana, Yariv Levin and Bezalel Smutrich spoke with Attorney General Dr. Avihai Mandelblit in an attempt to persuade him to change his opinion against authorizing the community of Mevo’ot Yericho.

Mandelblit had asked the prime minister whether it was crucial that a decision on the issue be made today, to which Netanyahu responded that the urgent nature of the matter stems from the expected release date of the Trump administration peace plan and the desire to ensure the status of the community before the release of the plan.

Following the conversation, Mandelblit removed his opposition, and the vote was held.

Speaking earlier at the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu had reiterated his pledge to soon apply Israeli sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea area.

"We will apply sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and the Northern Dead Sea as soon as the next government is established in the next Knesset. I have appointed a work team headed by the director of the Prime Minister's Office, which will formulate an outline for applying sovereignty," said Netanyahu.

The prime minister noted, "Applying Israeli sovereignty to all our communities in Judea and Samaria, including the blocs and the territory outside the blocs, and other areas that are essential for our security and our heritage - these things will come up in the "Deal of the Century" plan, which will come very soon after the elections."

Last week, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had issued a legal opinion against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans to authorize the legal status of the Israeli town in the Jordan Valley area.

Mandelblit notified the government of his opinion in a letter Thursday, informing the Prime Minister that, in the Attorney General’s opinion, Netanyahu’s plan to authorize Mevo’ot Yericho next week would violate Supreme Court rulings which limit the powers of a lame-duck government during election season.