Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank

By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, offering an unequivocal promise to block such a move that Arab leaders in the Middle East have also staunchly opposed.

Asked about Israel officials suggesting in recent weeks that their government could move to seize control of at least some parts of the West Bank, a move that has been floated in response to a number of countries — including key U.S. allies like the United Kingdom and Canada, to recognize a Palestinian state, Trump’s response was blunt.

“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” he told reporters during an unrelated signing of executive orders in the Oval Office.

Trump said he’d spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but said he’d be firm in not allowing annexation, adding, “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”

Trump has long bragged about his close relationship with Netanyahu, but the president has faced pressure from Arab leaders, who have publicly expressed concerns about Israeli annexation. The United Arab Emirates has warned that any Israeli move to annex would be a “red line.”

Netanyahu leads Israel’s most nationalist government in history and has been under pressure from key coalition allies to deepen Israel’s control over the occupied territory. They were hoping that Trump’s history of broad support for Israel’s policies would pave the way for an expansion of Israeli control over the occupied territory.

Unlike Gaza, where Israel’s war with Hamas continues, the West Bank is administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories to form their future state. Israel’s current government is staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood and supports the eventual annexation of much of the West Bank.

More than half a million Jewish settlers now live in the West Bank in some 130 settlements. The international community largely views the settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Western countries are outraged by Israel’s intensifying offensive in Gaza, and several have recognized Palestinian statehood.

Some 10 countries, including Britain, France, Canada and Australia, recognized Palestinian statehood this week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process, a move that the U.S. and Israel have vehemently rejected. Germany, one of Israel’s closest allies, has not joined the calls for a ceasefire or the push for Palestinian statehood, but has halted some military exports.

___