Following an emergency meeting between YESHA Council leaders and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York, a clause in the proposed Gaza plan which would have prevented Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria was removed.
The clause had previously been included in US President Donald Trump's proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of all hostages still held by the Hamas terror group. If Hamas had accepted the proposal, Israel would have been blocked from applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, regardless of the situation on the ground.
The meeting was attended by YESHA Council chairman Israel Ganz, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Ariel Mayor Yair Chetboun, and YESHA Council CEO Omer Rahamim. According to participants, the Prime Minister did not give a clear commitment on sovereignty during the meeting.
Only the following day, while the YESHA delegation was in Washington for meetings in Congress, relief was felt after the official plan was published and it became clear that the clause had not been included in the final version.
Nevertheless, YESHA Council officials noted that the agreement still contains openings that could allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the release of terrorists.
In light of this, the YESHA Council declared that the plan to advance broad sovereignty remains a top priority, and the council leadership intends to continue campaigning for implementing sovereignty during the current term.