President Donald Trump warned that U.S. support for Israel would be on the line if the Jewish state proceeded with annexing the West Bank. The president made the statement in a Time magazine interview.
“Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” Trump told Time. “It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries.”
Trump’s words come as certain right-wing factions within Israel’s Knesset push for annexation of the West Bank—a move viewed by many as a political stunt aimed at derailing the fragile peace process. Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly oppose the measure, recognizing that annexation could sabotage the progress made toward ending the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Vice President JD Vance, who traveled to Israel amid renewed tension, didn’t mince words after the Knesset’s symbolic 25–24 vote.
“I personally take some insult to it,” Vance said at Tel Aviv’s airport. “The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.”
Calling the move a “very stupid political stunt,” Vance criticized the Israeli parliament for what he saw as an attempt to embarrass Netanyahu during his visit. Though the proposal is unlikely to clear the multiple rounds of voting needed to become law, its mere existence threatens to undercut the painstaking peace Trump brokered between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed those concerns, saying before his trip to Israel, “President Trump has already made it clear that we do not support such moves right now. We are concerned about anything that could undermine what we are working on.”
Trump’s peace initiative—crafted with Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan—features a 20-point plan that includes a phased ceasefire, the release of hostages, demilitarization of Gaza, and a robust reconstruction effort. The ceasefire is holding, humanitarian aid is flowing in, and hostages have been exchanged. Still, the peace remains delicate, with issues such as the return of deceased hostages’ remains and political gamesmanship over West Bank annexation threatening to destabilize progress.
The United Arab Emirates, a crucial U.S. ally and signatory to the Abraham Accords, has also warned that annexation would be a “red line.”
Trump, who believes in transforming Gaza from a battlefield into a potential economic hub, envisions a future where the territory could rival glamorous destinations like Dubai or Monaco.
“The most important thing is they have to respect the President of the United States,” Trump told Time. “The Middle East has to understand that. It’s almost the President more than the country.”
