Netanyahu eyes West Bank annexation as Palestine recognition grows, Trump holds final say
The Israeli government is debating whether to annex the Jordan Valley or settlement blocs in the West Bank in response to the anticipated recognition of Palestine by European states and others at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting.
TEL AVIV — Reports emerged over the weekend that Israel intends to annex parts of the West Bank in response to growing international recognition of a Palestinian state, prompting strong private warnings from the Gulf states.
Israel’s security cabinet briefly discussed potential annexation on Sunday during a six-hour session focused mainly on plans for a major offensive in Gaza City. At a meeting in Washington Aug. 27, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also updated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the government’s intentions.
Gulf states, Israel's security brass oppose annexation
Israel has controlled the West Bank since 1967, and the Palestinians seek to establish an independent state there. Gulf states warn that annexation would jeopardize the 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the first Trump administration, which established official ties between Israel and four Arab states — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Gulf states, both those with formal ties to Israel and those without, have warned that annexation could derail efforts to expand the accords to include additional Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia, which the Trump administration has touted as a policy priority.
