President Donald Trump said he opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank, marking a public divergence from recent Israeli cabinet actions as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for high-level talks in Washington.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he does not support the annexation of the West Bank by Israel, a position that places the White House at odds with recent steps approved by Israel’s security cabinet to expand Israeli civil authority in the territory.
“I am against annexation,” Trump told Axios, adding, “We have enough to think about now. We don’t need to be dealing with the West Bank.”
The comments come just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington, where discussions are expected to cover Iran, Gaza ceasefire efforts and broader regional security cooperation. Trump’s remarks, however, highlight emerging friction between the U.S. administration and hard-line factions within Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
Over the weekend, Israel’s security cabinet approved a package of measures aimed at increasing Israeli civil control in the occupied West Bank, including steps that make it easier for Jewish settlers to purchase land and expand settlement activity. The decisions also shift certain administrative authorities in predominantly Palestinian areas from the Palestinian Authority to Israeli bodies, according to details of the measure.
Palestinian officials and international observers have warned that the changes amount to an acceleration of de facto annexation of territory that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. They argue the moves further weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority and complicate prospects for a negotiated settlement.
The cabinet decisions contrast with the framework established by the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, which created the Palestinian Authority and divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C. Under that arrangement, Areas A and B were designated for Palestinian civil control with varying levels of Israeli security oversight, while Area C remained under full Israeli control as part of an interim structure intended to support progress toward a two-state solution. Critics of the new measures say they erode those distinctions and undermine the core principles of Oslo.
Trump’s explicit opposition to annexation introduces a new variable into U.S.-Israel relations at a sensitive moment. While Netanyahu’s upcoming visit is expected to focus heavily on immediate security challenges, Trump’s statement underscores broader disagreements over the future of the West Bank and the viability of long-standing diplomatic frameworks intended to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.