U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Thursday, September 25, that Israel will not be allowed to annex the occupied West Bank.
The statement, made in the Oval Office, came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and a meeting with the U.S. president.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump said, confirming that he had discussed the matter directly with Netanyahu. He added, “It’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
Trump’s announcement marks a rare rebuke of Israel’s policies by the United States, aligning Washington with Western and Arab nations that have long warned annexation would end prospects for a Palestinian state.
The administration has faced growing criticism globally for defending Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which a UN inquiry described as genocide.
However, this new position on the West Bank signals Washington’s willingness to place boundaries on Israeli expansion.
The announcement came just two days after Trump’s administration proposed a 21-point plan to Arab leaders aimed at ending the Gaza war.
The plan, still under discussion, calls for the release of Israeli hostages, a permanent ceasefire, a framework for governing Gaza without Hamas, and a phased Israeli withdrawal.
Regional leaders reportedly pushed for stronger guarantees, including no annexation of the West Bank, more humanitarian aid for Gaza, and limits on Israeli settlements.
A regional diplomat confirmed that “no annexation” was one of their red lines.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who met with Trump, told reporters:
“The president understands very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank.”
France had also hinted at this shift. President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that annexation would be a “red line” for the United States and could unravel the Abraham Accords.
The UAE, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020, has previously warned annexation would “end the pursuit of regional integration.”
The West Bank, occupied since 1967, is home to over 3.3 million Palestinians. Recent Israeli settlement expansions, including Netanyahu’s approval of the E1 project, have been widely criticized as attempts to block a future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Trump’s firm words “I will not allow it” were unexpected, given his administration’s close alignment with Israel.
