U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed an effort by Israeli lawmakers to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, saying Israel is “not going to do anything with the West Bank,” as Washington pressed to maintain a fragile Gaza ceasefire.
The remarks came a day after Israel’s parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill applying Israeli law to the West Bank — a move widely seen as a step toward annexation of land Palestinians seek for a future independent state.
Speaking during a visit to Israel, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump would firmly oppose any annexation. “If it was a political stunt, it is a very stupid one,” he said, calling the move “insulting” during sensitive U.S. peace efforts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately warned that annexation moves could endanger Trump’s “20-point Gaza plan,” which aims to stabilize the enclave, enable reconstruction, and set conditions for renewed steps toward Palestinian statehood.
Members of the Israeli forces stand guard as they block the access of Palestinians and foreign activists to olive trees during the olive harvest, near Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
Washington Pushes to Preserve Gaza Truce
Vance and Rubio were among several senior U.S. officials in Israel this week working to preserve a 13-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of devastating war.
The truce, brokered by the U.S., has led to the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the recovery of several bodies, and a partial Israeli troop withdrawal. Both sides have accused each other of violations but reaffirmed their commitment to the deal.
Vance said he “feels pretty good” about progress on the ceasefire following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military leaders. “The policy of President Trump is that the West Bank will not be annexed,” he told reporters at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
Far-Right Push and Political Fallout
As reported in Reuters, the annexation bill, sponsored by a far-right opposition lawmaker and backed by ultranationalist ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, passed its first reading 25-24 — one of four needed to become law. Netanyahu’s Likud party abstained, calling the vote a “deliberate political provocation” designed to embarrass the government during Vance’s visit.
“The attempt to legislate the annexation of the West Bank is unlikely to go anywhere,” Netanyahu’s office said, noting that the bill lacked coalition support.
Netanyahu, who has repeatedly rejected Palestinian statehood, had previously considered annexation as a response to Western recognition of a Palestinian state but shelved the idea after Trump’s objections.
Global and Regional Reaction
The preliminary vote drew swift condemnation from Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Indonesia, as well as major regional organizations representing Arab states.
The United Nations considers Israeli settlements across the West Bank illegal under international law, while Israel cites biblical and historical claims to what it calls disputed territory.
Saudi Arabia — a key target of Trump’s efforts to expand the Abraham Accords — reiterated that normalization with Israel would not happen without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
