U.S. President Donald Trump warned Israel that any move to annex the West Bank would cause it to lose all American support, marking his strongest rebuke yet of the proposal amid rising tensions over Israeli legislative efforts.
In comments published Thursday by Time magazine from an Oct. 15 interview, Trump said he had pledged to Arab countries that annexation would not happen, emphasizing that Israel must honor regional commitments.
“It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support,” Trump said. “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
His remarks came a day after the Knesset passed a bill in a preliminary reading to apply Israeli sovereignty to all West Bank settlements, despite opposition from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The vote sparked criticism from Washington, highlighting the growing friction between the two governments.
Trump had previously dismissed such plans, saying last month, “I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.” The latest comments, however, represented his most direct warning yet that the U.S. would not tolerate the move.
Despite the tensions, Trump expressed optimism about the region’s diplomatic prospects, saying he believed Israel and Saudi Arabia could normalize relations by the end of the year.
The bill passed in a 25-24 vote. It is unclear whether the bill has the support to win a majority in the 120-seat parliament, and Netanyahu has the tools to delay or defeat it.
