‘Enough is enough, no more’ – Trump makes big announcement on West Bank

‘Enough is enough, no more’ – Trump makes big announcement on West Bank

Israel will not be able to annex the West Bank – US President Donald Trump has made such a direct announcement.

In response to a question from reporters at the White House on Thursday, he said, ‘I will not let Israel annex the West Bank. It will not happen.’

The Times of Israel reported this in a report on Friday.

President Trump’s comment made Washington’s position clear publicly for the first time. He said that he gave this assurance during a meeting with leaders of Arab and Muslim countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Trump said that he had also spoken directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the issue. ‘I will not let Israel annex the West Bank. It has gone too far. It is time to stop it,’ commented the US president.

Announcement ahead of Netanyahu’s New York visit

Trump’s announcement came as Netanyahu arrived in New York to address the UN. In recent days, France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal have recognized Palestine as an independent state. Western countries say these steps are taken to preserve the two-state solution. Israel, however, has strongly criticized these recognitions.

US warning and Israel's plan

The Times of Israel reported, citing Israeli officials, that the Trump administration has already warned Israel personally about the West Bank annexation. However, Jerusalem believes that the talks do not end there. Netanyahu plans to discuss the issue with Trump at a White House meeting in Washington next week.

Fears of internal crisis

Trump's public announcement may disappoint the hopes of right-wing politicians and settlement leaders in Israel. They thought that the long-standing dream of annexing the West Bank would come true after Trump's re-election.

Analysts say that it is almost impossible for Israel to implement its plan to annex the West Bank without US support. Such an initiative would provoke a strong international reaction.

A senior UAE official recently told The Times of Israel that annexing the West Bank would be a “red line” that would reverse the situation.

Unrest for Netanyahu’s government

Trump’s announcement could create new instability for Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government. The hard-right parties that are part of the government have made annexation a key goal.

Now that this possibility has been eliminated, they are likely to be more inclined to dissolve the government.