Trump promises Arab, Muslim leaders he won’t let Israel annex the West Bank
The president’s pledge came in a closed-door meeting at the UN.
By Felicia Schwartz, Eli Stokols, Nicholas Vinocur and Hans von der Burchard09/24/2025 10:48 AM EDTUpdated: 09/24/2025 03:16 PM EDT
UNITED NATIONS — President Donald Trump promised Arab and Muslim leaders during a meeting Tuesday that he would not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, according to six people familiar with the discussion.
Two of those people said that Trump was firm on the topic and that the president promised that Israel would not be allowed to absorb the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas.
Another one of the people familiar with the talks noted that, despite Trump’s assurance, a ceasefire to end Israel’s nearly two-year war against Hamas was nowhere close to fruition. Two others familiar with the matter said Trump and his team presented a white paper outlining the administration’s plan to end the war, including the annexation promise and other details such as governance and postwar security.
Special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff provided some details on the proposal on Wednesday. “We presented what we call the Trump 21-point-plan for peace in the Mideast in Gaza,” he said at the Concordia summit in New York. “I think it addresses Israeli concerns and as well, the concerns of all the neighbors in the in the region.” Witkoff did not mention any comments about the West Bank.
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Arab leaders have been frustrated by Trump’s opposition to the recognition of a Palestinian state and his continued support of Netanyahu’s assault on Hamas, which expanded beyond Gaza earlier this month when Israel tried to take out Hamas officials when they were in Qatar for peace talks. Going into Tuesday’s meeting, they aimed to impress on the U.S. president that any Israeli incursion into the West Bank would likely lead to the collapse of the Abraham Accords, two of the people familiar with the conversation said
politico.com
They might need to start appointing people of non-Jeiwsh descent to be emissaries to Israel and the Arab states. Otherwise, it is the same organized crime family at this point. The US has been out front in proposing annexation of the Gaza Strip and stood by for years as Israel moved settlers and military posts into the West Bank to the point they occupy more than half the territory.
De Facto Annexation of the West Bank by Israel
Ongoing actions by Israel have been described as "de facto annexation" of the West Bank, particularly through accelerated settlement expansion, shifts of governance authority to Israeli civilian control, and the creation of "facts on the ground" that make a future contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible. Most recently in 2025, Israel approved unprecedented settlement expansion and its parliament passed a symbolic resolution favoring formal annexation.
Recent annexationist policies and actions in 2025
- Accelerated settlement construction: In May 2025, Israel's security cabinet approved what observers call the largest expansion of West Bank settlements in decades. The plan included 22 new settlements, with 50,000 housing units slated for approval in 2025—four times the previous annual record.
- Expansion of existing settlements: In September 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans to expand the Maale Adumim settlement, a move that would cut off the central West Bank and further isolate Palestinian communities. The plan involves building thousands of new homes in the E1 area, which is considered highly strategic.
- Shift to civilian control: In 2023, the governing coalition began shifting administrative authority over civilian affairs in Area C of the West Bank from military commanders to civilian officials, primarily Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. This move functionally applies Israeli civilian administration over occupied territory. Smotrich, who oversees a "Settlement Administration" within the Defense Ministry, stated his intent to make these changes permanent.
- Symbolic Knesset resolution: In July 2025, the Knesset voted 71 to 13 in favor of a non-binding motion to apply Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jordan Valley. The vote was widely condemned internationally and by Palestinian authorities as a step toward unlawful annexation.
International law and response
- Violates international law: The international community overwhelmingly considers the annexation of occupied territory and the expansion of settlements illegal under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention.
- ICJ advisory opinion: In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion stating that Israel's occupation is illegal and that its settlement policies and practices constitute unlawful annexation.
- UN condemns actions: Following the ICJ ruling, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution in September 2024 affirming the ruling and setting a deadline of September 2025 for Israel to terminate its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
- UN report on permanent control: A September 2025 report from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel's actions in the West Bank since October 2023 show a "clear intent to ... annex the entirety of the West Bank, preventing any potential Palestinian self-determination and statehood".
Two-tiered legal system
- Civilian vs. military law: Observers describe a dual legal system in the West Bank, where Israeli settlers are subject to Israeli civilian law and enjoy full rights, while Palestinians are subject to military rule. This has been cited by international experts as a consolidation of an "apartheid regime".
- Differential treatment: The separate systems create a wide disparity in rights and legal processes. For example, Palestinians are often tried in Israeli military courts, while settlers involved in violence face much more lenient treatment under civilian law.
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