Bloomberg reported that on September 25 local time, U.S. President Trump stated that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
On that day, Trump told the media in the Oval Office: "I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. I will absolutely not allow it." When asked whether he had discussed this position with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump did not give a direct answer, saying only, "Whether I spoke to him is not important."
Trump said that he had spoken to Netanyahu that day and also to all Middle Eastern leaders, who were about to reach an agreement on the Gaza issue, and even achieve peace.
He added, "I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Enough is enough, it's time to stop now."
After several countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally recognized the State of Palestine, Netanyahu had previously vowed to respond: "There will never be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River." Israeli officials also said that the Israeli government was considering "full or partial annexation" of the West Bank.
The report pointed out that any formal annexation by Israel of parts or all of the West Bank could further escalate tensions in the region and may also threaten the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
On local time September 23, Trump held a meeting with representatives from Arab and Islamic countries to promote a solution to the war between Israel and Hamas through negotiations, but this goal has not been achieved yet. Sources revealed that Trump promised at the meeting that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
According to sources, Trump and his team submitted a white paper outlining the U.S. government's plan to end the Israel-Palestine conflict, which includes a commitment to "oppose annexation," as well as other details regarding governance and post-war security.
Local time September 25, Trump answers questions from the media in the Oval Office. Screenshot of video
In recent days, Western countries have announced the recognition of the State of Palestine, which has caused dissatisfaction from the Israeli government. Some Israeli officials believe that this is actually an opportunity to annex territory in the West Bank.
According to The Times of Israel, a senior Israeli official said earlier this week that the Trump administration had privately warned Israel not to take this step in response to Western recognition of the Palestinian state.
The official also said that Israel does not see these warnings as marking the "end of the discussion," and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to discuss this matter with Trump at the White House next week.
On the 25th, Netanyahu, before departing for the United Nations General Assembly, stated that he would condemn countries that pledged the State of Palestine in his speech, "They do not condemn murderers, but instead want to give them a country in the heart of Israel. This will not happen."
In fact, during Netanyahu's tenure, Israel has significantly advanced and consolidated its de facto control over the West Bank, including expanding Jewish settlements and strengthening its security presence in the region.
Arab and European officials have warned that the formal annexation of the West Bank would completely destroy the last hope of achieving the "two-state solution." Arab countries have clearly stated that this is their "red line," and if crossed, it would terminate any further possibility of Israel's integration into the Middle East.
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