Avichai Mandelblit
Avichai MandelblitKobi Richter/TPS

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit gave a speech on Tuesday evening at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, entitled "Strategic Assessment for Israel 2020 - Looking to the Next Decade".

In his remarks, the Attorney General addressed the “Deal of the Century” which was unveiled by US President Donald Trump, saying, “We are all excited about the historic and strategic event. We will give our best advice, be there and help, but ultimately the decision is at the hands of the political echelon."

Mandelblit hinted that it was not yet certain that he would give the green light to approving a decision on applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria at the Cabinet meeting.

"We have to help the government implement its policy, but also ensure to maintain restraint during a transitional government. We will see what the urgency of the issue is. We will listen and decide. If a request is made, I will examine it from a legal point of view. There are other urgent matters during a transitional government. I am not ruling anything out.”

"In 99 percent of cases, we implement [government policy]. In cases where that doesn't happen - the exception becomes a rule. Ultimately, we are a state of law, that's part of our strength," the Attorney General said.

By law, applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria does not require legislation in the Knesset, and a government decision according to which an appropriate "decree" is issued is sufficient, since the territories of Judea and Samaria were part of Mandatory Palestine.

Applying sovereignty to the Golan Heights in the early 1980s required the enactment of the Golan Heights Law, because the area was not part of Mandatory Israel. The application of Israeli law to the liberated areas of Jerusalem after the 1967 Six Day War was carried out by order of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s government shortly after the war.