Trump White House Voices Opposition to Israel's West Bank Control Expansion
The Trump administration has reiterated its opposition to Israel annexing the West Bank, following Israeli plans that pave the way for increased settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. Israel's security cabinet approved measures on Sunday, including allowing Jewish Israelis to buy West Bank land directly and extending greater Israeli control over areas where the Palestinian Authority exercises power.
International Condemnation and Regional Reactions
As regional states and others condemned the plan, a White House official stated on Monday that "a stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region." The UK strongly condemned the decision, calling it "wholly unacceptable" and inconsistent with international law, urging Israel to reverse it immediately.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave concern, warning the changes erode prospects for a two-state solution. A joint statement from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey condemned the measures in the strongest terms.
Details of the Israeli Measures
The approved measures include:
- Repealing a law from Jordan's pre-1967 control to make land registries public, facilitating Jewish land purchases.
- Removing permit requirements from a civil administration office.
- Transferring authority over building permits in Hebron from the Palestinian Authority to Israel.
- Increasing Israeli control over religious sites like Rachel's Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the changes aim to "deepen our roots in all regions of the Land of Israel and bury the idea of a Palestinian state." The Palestinian presidency called it an attempt to annex the West Bank.
Background and Implications
More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements illegal under international law, alongside around three million Palestinians. The West Bank, occupied since 1967, is seen as key to a future Palestinian state but claimed by some as Israeli land. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is scheduled to meet Trump in the US on Wednesday, amid ongoing tensions over the plan's destabilising effects, as noted by Guterres and an international court finding.
