In a bold statement, former President Donald Trump declared that the United States would sever its ties with Israel if the country attempts to annex the West Bank. Trump's remarks, made during a recent interview with Time magazine on October 15, come just days before Israel's Knesset advanced legislation aimed at annexing the territory.
"It won't happen. It won't happen," Trump stated. "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. It won't happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened."
The comments seem to reflect Trump's strong stance on maintaining relationships with Arab nations, especially after his administration brokered historic peace agreements between Israel and several Arab states. These agreements, often referred to as the "Abraham Accords," are seen as one of his administration's significant foreign policy achievements.
The timing of Trump's comments coincides with a growing controversy in Israel. On Wednesday, the Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would extend Israeli sovereignty over all West Bank settlements. In a more limited move, another bill was passed to annex a major settlement city. This comes despite strong opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many members of his Likud party. Netanyahu and his allies argue that such a move could jeopardize the delicate ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump administration between Israel and Hamas, which is backed by Iran.
The Knesset's push for annexation, which many view as symbolic rather than a practical step, has been a point of contention. Vice President JD Vance, who was in Israel at the time, expressed his dissatisfaction with the vote, calling it "a political stunt with no practical significance." He added, "If it was a political stunt, it was a stupid one, and I take some insult to it."
The broader concern among U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is that annexation could undermine the Trump administration’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Rubio echoed Trump’s sentiment, stating that such a move could "threaten the peace deal" and further destabilize the region.
As Israel moves closer to annexing parts of the West Bank, Trump's warning about the consequences for U.S.-Israel relations highlights the significant geopolitical implications of these actions. The future of the region and the relationships between key players, including the U.S., Israel, and Arab nations, will depend on how these developments unfold.
