By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday harshly criticized the Knesset’s preliminary approval of two bills to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, labeling the move a “deliberate provocation” intended to coincide with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit.

The statement in English described the legislation as a “deliberate political provocation,” asserting that the opposition had sought to embarrass the government while international attention was focused on Israel.

The vote on Tuesday saw Maoz’s proposal to extend Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria pass by a single vote, while Liberman’s measure to include Maale Adumim won 32-9.

It added that neither Likud nor its religious coalition partners supported the proposals.

The statement mentioned opposition members, including Avi Maoz of the Noam party and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman introduced the measures.

It noted that the only Likud lawmaker to vote in favor, Yuli Edelstein, had recently been dismissed as chairman of a Knesset committee and did not represent the party.

Without the coalition’s backing, the Prime Minister’s Office said, the bills have no practical chance of advancing.

Coalition Chairman MK Ofir Katz announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the government to freeze all sovereignty-related legislation for now.

Katz said the order came after several coalition members broke ranks with Netanyahu’s stated position, allowing the bills to pass in their initial readings.

The legislation provoked an immediate reaction from Washington. Vice President Vance criticized the timing, calling the move “weird” and “a stupid political stunt,” adding that he felt personally insulted by it.

On the same day, TIME magazine published an interview conducted the previous week with President Donald Trump, who said Israeli annexation “won’t happen.”

Trump warned that such a step would cost Israel American backing, noting, “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”