US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday night, September 25, that he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, drawing a rare red line over Israeli actions in the Palestinian territory.
Trump made his comments in the Oval Office following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and a meeting with the president.
Trump’s remarks signal an alignment with many Western and Arab nations, which have warned that any Israeli annexation would effectively kill the idea of a Palestinian state.
The Trump administration has faced increasing international isolation, even among key allies, regarding the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state and its defense of Israel’s destruction of Gaza, which a UN inquiry has described as genocide.
Trump’s declaration followed his administration’s proposal on Tuesday of a 21-point plan to Arab leaders aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The proposed plan, which is still being finalized with regional leaders, included points previously made public, such as the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and a permanent ceasefire.
It also outlined a framework for Gaza’s governance without Hamas and proposed a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, according to sources briefed on the matter.
Regional leaders, while endorsing large parts of Trump’s plan, presented a series of points they wanted included, notably no annexation of the West Bank by Israel, maintaining the status quo for Jerusalem, increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and addressing Israel’s illegal settlements, a regional diplomat confirmed.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who attended the meeting with Trump, told reporters that he believes the president understands “very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank.”
The West Bank, located west of the Jordan River between Israel and Jordan, has been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967 and is home to more than 3.3 million Palestinians. Israel’s government has discussed annexing all or part of the territory, with far-right ministers pushing for full annexation.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, the Israeli military has intensified operations across the West Bank, imposing checkpoints and cutting off communities. There has also been an escalation in Israeli settler attacks and land grabs.
Just this month, Netanyahu signed a controversial West Bank settlement expansion plan, including the E1 project to build thousands of new homes—a move long opposed internationally as it would make a contiguous Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem virtually impossible.
French President Emmanuel Macron foreshadowed Trump’s stance on Wednesday, telling French media that West Bank annexation would be a “red line” for the United States and would mark the end of the Abraham Accords. Macron said his earlier conversation with Trump indicated that “Europeans and Americans are on the same page” on the topic.
The United Arab Emirates, the main signatory of the landmark 2020 Abraham Accords, has previously stated that Israeli annexation of the West Bank would be a “red line” that would “end the pursuit of regional integration.”
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said, acknowledging he had discussed the topic with Netanyahu earlier in the day. He added, “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
