Trump opposes Israeli West Bank annexation plan
US President Donald Trump has taken a direct stand against Israeli plans to annex the occupied West Bank. A White House official said on Monday (January 9) that President Trump sees maintaining stability in the Palestinian territories as consistent with his goal of establishing peace in the region. The official, quoted by Reuters, made it clear that a stable West Bank keeps Israel safe and the current US administration is committed to this policy.
The White House’s response came after Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced new measures to expand the occupied West Bank. The new regulations, approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet, will make it easier to seize land for illegal settlements. In particular, the decision has been taken to take away the power to approve construction permits in major cities such as Hebron and put them under direct Israeli control.
Israel’s decision has already sparked a storm of protests around the world. Eight major Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, called it “illegal and an attempt to displace Palestinians” in a joint statement. They believe that the move is an attempt to impose illegitimate sovereignty on the West Bank in violation of international law. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the move as “destabilizing” and a major obstacle to a two-state solution. His spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that such a decision undermines the right of the Palestinian people to control their own destiny.
On the other hand, the British government and Spain also strongly condemned the incident and called on Israel to immediately reverse the decision. The British government’s statement said that any unilateral attempt to change the geographical or demographic structure of the West Bank is completely unacceptable. It is noteworthy that Israeli Minister Smotrich has publicly claimed that the main goal of this change is to bury forever the idea of creating a Palestinian state. However, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has warned that Israel’s expansionist policies and occupation could further intensify the ongoing violence in Gaza and hinder peace efforts.
Source: Al Jazeera.
