Trump: I Will Not Allow Netanyahu to Annex the West Bank

According to the BBC, Trump, speaking on Thursday, one day before the Israeli Prime Minister’s address to the United Nations General Assembly, told reporters in the Oval Office: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank… this will not happen.”

Trump, who is set to meet Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, added that a deal on Gaza is “almost close.”

Israel is facing increasing international pressure to end the war in Gaza and halt the occupation of the West Bank, while simultaneously, a wave of Western countries has begun recognizing an independent Palestinian state. However, some far-right Israelis, key supporters of Netanyahu, view annexation of the West Bank as a tactic to prevent the implementation of a two-state solution.

Far-right nationalists within Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have repeatedly called for the full annexation of the West Bank, which constitutes part of the Palestinian territories.

The United Kingdom and Germany have warned Israel about the consequences of such a move, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated at the opening of the UN General Assembly on Monday that this action would be “ethically, legally, and politically unacceptable.”

On Thursday, September 25 (3 Mehr), Trump told reporters at the White House that he has discussed the matter with Netanyahu and leaders of several Middle Eastern countries: “We are very close to reaching an agreement on Gaza – and possibly even a lasting peace.”

On Tuesday, Trump met with key Arab and Muslim leaders at the United Nations, who warned him about the consequences of annexing the West Bank. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan remarked: “I believe the U.S. President fully understands the risks and threats posed by annexation.”