Trump Warns Israel Would Lose ‘All Of US Support’ If It Annexes West Bank

Trump Warns Israel Would Lose ‘All Of US Support’ If It Annexes West Bank

US President Donald Trump said Israel would lose “all support” from the United States if it proceeds to annex the West Bank, as White House officials heavily criticised a proposed Knesset vote on the matter, which they argue goes against Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.

In an interview with TIME Magazine on October 15 that was published on Thursday, Trump said Israel won’t annex the West Bank, and he had given his word to Arab countries. “You can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. It will not happen. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” he said.

Washington has repeatedly warned that any unilateral annexation of the West Bank would cross a “red line.” In September, Donald Trump said, “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. It’s not going to happen.”

Trump also disclosed his plans to visit the Strip, but offered no comment on a reconstituted Palestinian Authority governing post-war Gaza. “I’ve always gotten along with him (Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas). I’ve always found him reasonable, but he’s probably not. But I have always found him reasonable, like, you know, you saw him come up to me and couldn’t have been friendlier, and so I have to—I’d really have to find out,” he added.