In a verdict delivered from the Oval Office, Donald Trump has rendered any Israeli proposal to annex the West Bank “dead on arrival.” His blunt and unequivocal statement, “Nope, I will not allow it,” effectively shuts down a policy objective that has been a cornerstone of the Israeli far-right’s platform for years.
This presidential verdict was handed down at a moment of maximum diplomatic sensitivity, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touching down in New York for the UN General Assembly. He is now faced with the political reality that his government’s expansionist ambitions have hit a firm wall of opposition from the United States.
The decision follows a period of intense deliberation, heavily influenced by the concerns of key global allies. The United Kingdom, France, and Australia were among the nations that feared Trump might recognize Israeli settlements as a retaliatory act. Their lobbying, along with dire warnings from Arab and Muslim countries, clearly played a pivotal role in shaping the final verdict.
The subject of the verdict, the West Bank, is home to a deeply entrenched and complex conflict. Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live on land captured in 1967, a situation that the vast majority of the international community deems illegal and a primary impediment to peace.
This clear rejection of annexation is also a key component of a broader American strategy aimed at resolving the Gaza crisis. The US is currently shopping a 21-point peace plan to regional powers. By taking a hard line on the West Bank, the Trump administration may be attempting to create a more favorable environment for negotiations to end the Gaza war, which has claimed over 65,000 Palestinian lives.