U. S. Vice President JD Vance stated on Thursday that President Donald Trump would oppose any efforts by Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, describing recent actions by Israeli lawmakers as a “political stunt. ” A bill that would apply Israeli law to the West Bank, essentially annexing it, received preliminary approval from Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday, sparking concern among U. S. officials. Vance criticized the bill, noting that if it was a political move, it was a misguided one. He reinforced that President Trump’s policy is to prevent annexation of the West Bank.
The bill, led by a far-right opposition lawmaker, passed with a close vote of 25-24 among 120 lawmakers. It was supported by ultranationalist members of the government, but Netanyahu’s office called it a “deliberate political provocation” and emphasized that without support from Netanyahu’s Likud party, the bill was unlikely to succeed. U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any annexation could jeopardize Trump’s efforts to end the ongoing Gaza conflict, which is currently under a fragile ceasefire.
The U. S. has been a strong ally of Israel, and during Vance’s visit to Israel, there were discussions on maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The $20-point Gaza plan proposed by Trump focuses on rebuilding Gaza and potentially addressing Palestinian statehood. Vance expressed optimism about the ceasefire, despite ongoing tensions and accusations of violations from both sides.
The issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank continues to be contentious, with the U. N. and various countries considering these settlements illegal. The Israeli government maintains historical claims to the territory and adamantly opposes Palestinian statehood. The recent vote is seen as part of a larger pattern of political maneuvering related to regional diplomacy, with mixed international reactions.
In comments that reflect this tension, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested that if normalization with Saudi Arabia depends on the creation of a Palestinian state, Israel should reject such an offer outright. Meanwhile, reactions to the bill included condemnation from several Muslim-majority countries and organizations.
With information from Reuters