Donald Trump has said he would “not allow” Israel to annex the West Bank, as it emerged that Jerusalem was considering applying sovereignty to Jewish communities in Area C of the territory.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a signing ceremony for executive orders yesterday, Trump said that he had relayed the message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of their upcoming meeting at the White House on Monday.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, nope,” Trump said. “Whether I spoke to him or not – I did – but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank.”
The president’s comments give credence to reports that he delivered a similar message to Arab and Muslim officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, assuring the leaders of Jordan, Qatar and other countries that he would prevent Netanyahu from annexing the territories.
“There’s been enough,” Trump said yesterday. “It’s time to stop now.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar announced this week that the government is considering the annexation of Area C of the West Bank, which, under the Oslo Accords, is under full Israeli security and civilian control.
Sa’ar added that no decision had yet been made and emphasised that the government would not annex any Palestinian Authority-controlled territory.
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