Smotrich (right) and Netanyahu (left)
Smotrich (right) and Netanyahu (left)צילום: Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90

The Religious Zionist Party is demanding that the Likud include in the coalition agreement a provision for promoting Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, Channel 13 reported Sunday evening.

According to the report, the Religious Zionist Party is conditioning its support for a future government led by Benjamin Netanyahu in part on the Likud’s willingness to include a clause in the coalition agreement obligating the new government to take steps to apply Israeli sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria.

The Likud, however, is reportedly refusing to commit to any steps towards applying sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria in the next government, leaving the two sides deadlocked.

Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu has in the past committed himself to applying Israeli sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, including an election promise ahead of the 2020 Knesset election.

After the election and subsequent formation of a coalition with Blue and White, Netanyahu even laid out a timetable for the application of sovereignty, which had been set to begin on July 1st, 2020.

The move was delayed, however, with Netanyahu later committing to shelve the plan in order to secure the agreement of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.

A spokesperson for the Religious Zionist Party responded to the report, saying: “We are working on detailed agreements spanning a plethora of issues relevant to the national camp, including the issue of sovereignty. But the details we are leaving in the negotiating room.”