In a dramatic turn of events in Middle Eastern politics, Israel’s recent push to annex parts of the occupied West Bank has run headlong into a wall of international opposition, most notably from its closest ally, the United States. The controversy erupted after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, advanced two bills on October 22, 2025, that would pave the way for annexing the West Bank and the large settlement of Maale Adumim near Jerusalem. Despite their preliminary passage, these measures have ignited fierce debate both within Israel and across the global stage.
According to China Daily, the American response was swift and unequivocal. President Donald Trump, who had just brokered a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, issued his sternest warning yet in an interview with Time magazine: “It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.” The interview, conducted on October 15 but published a week later, marked a rare moment of public friction between the two countries. Trump’s message was clear—US backing for Israel is not unconditional, especially when it comes to altering the status of the West Bank.
US Vice President JD Vance, who was in Israel at the time to oversee the ceasefire, doubled down on the administration’s position. Speaking to reporters, Vance did not mince words, describing the Knesset votes as “a very stupid political stunt” and adding, “I personally take some insult to it. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.” As Al Jazeera reported, Vance’s presence in Israel highlighted the high stakes of the moment, with American officials working overtime to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire and to keep Israeli actions in check.
The bills themselves, while not yet law, have already had a significant impact. The vote to annex Maale Adumim passed 32–9, while the broader bill to apply Israeli sovereignty to all settlements in the West Bank squeaked through 25–24. The measures now head to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further readings, but few expect them to advance further, given the fierce US opposition and the lack of support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own Likud party. In fact, almost all Likud lawmakers boycotted the votes, with only one member, Yuli Edelstein, breaking ranks—a move that cost him his seat on a key parliamentary committee.
Netanyahu, facing growing pressure both at home and abroad, has distanced himself from the annexation push. His office dismissed the votes as “a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord,” according to The Associated Press. Despite his own history of flirting with the idea of a “Greater Israel,” Netanyahu has prioritized maintaining strong ties with Washington and preserving the fragile Gaza ceasefire. His coalition partners, however, are less restrained. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both supported the annexation bills, with Smotrich posting on social media: “The time has come to apply full sovereignty over all the territories of Judea and Samaria—the inheritance of our forefathers—and to promote peace agreements in exchange for peace with our neighbors, from a position of strength.”
The international backlash has been equally forceful. More than a dozen states, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkiye, issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli vote as a “flagrant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions,” specifically Resolution 2334. That resolution explicitly denounces any Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition or legal status of the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.
The Palestinian response has been one of cautious optimism. Majed Bamya, the deputy Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council that Palestinians “appreciate the clear message” sent by the Trump administration in opposition to annexation. For Palestinians, the West Bank and Gaza—both captured by Israel in the 1967 war—remain the heart of their aspirations for an independent state. Any formal annexation, analysts warn, would likely destroy the already fragile prospects for a two-state solution.
Yet, as experts like Amichai Cohen of the Israel Democracy Institute point out, a “de facto annexation” is already underway, given that more than 700,000 Israelis now live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, and even under Israeli law in the case of certain outposts. The steady expansion of settlements has been a point of contention for decades, fueling Palestinian resentment and complicating peace efforts.
The United States, meanwhile, remains deeply enmeshed in the region’s diplomatic and security efforts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Israel to meet with Netanyahu, aiming to “support the successful implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza,” according to the State Department. Rubio expressed both optimism and realism about the path ahead, stating, “No one is under any illusions. We’ve already done the impossible once and we intend to keep doing that.”
As the political drama unfolded in Jerusalem, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continued to demand urgent attention. Vice President Vance revealed that the US expects reconstruction to begin soon in “Hamas-free” areas of the territory, though he acknowledged that rebuilding could take years. The World Bank, UN, and European Union estimate the cost at a staggering $53 billion, with 80% of Gaza’s buildings damaged or destroyed during the war. Aid organizations like Oxfam and the World Food Program are scrambling to meet the needs of the displaced, but progress has been slow, and the scale of devastation is overwhelming.
Adding to the tension, Israel’s far-right finance minister Smotrich made headlines with an inflammatory remark directed at Saudi Arabia, saying, “No thank you. Keep riding camels in the sands of the Saudi desert,” after rejecting Saudi demands for a Palestinian state as the price for normalization. Although Smotrich later expressed regret for his “unplanned” comment, he remained steadfast in his support for annexation, insisting on Israel’s “living and very deep ties” to the West Bank, which he referred to by its biblical names, Judea and Samaria.
Behind the scenes, US officials are working to establish a civilian-military coordination center in southern Israel, with around 200 American troops collaborating with Israeli forces and international partners to stabilize and reconstruct Gaza. The administration’s broader vision includes training a new Palestinian police force to take over security duties in Gaza, a move that could eventually open the door to greater Palestinian self-determination—if, that is, the political will can be mustered on all sides.
For now, the annexation bills remain in limbo, stalled by a combination of domestic opposition, international condemnation, and the unmistakable message from Washington: some red lines, it seems, are not meant to be crossed.
