Trump advisers warn Israel ministers not to assume West Bank annexation support

Two former Trump administration officials have warned senior Israeli ministers not to assume that the president-elect will support West Bank annexation if re-elected, reported The Times of Israel.

Although these warnings were issued in various meetings prior to Trump’s election victory, far-right ministers remain undeterred.

The far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, recently announced 2025 as “the year of sovereignty” in the West Bank, and National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, echoed similar sentiments. Prime Minister Netanyahu has also named Yechiel Leiter, a former settler leader who supports annexation, as Israel’s next ambassador to the US.

Meanwhile, Trump’s advisers did not entirely rule out support but warned it should not be assumed. US allies in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, may oppose the move, especially as Trump could prioritise cooperation with these nations on issues like countering Iran, competing with China and addressing the Ukraine war, one Israeli official noted.

READ: Smotrich announces plans for imposing Israel sovereignty over West Bank

Moreover, a former Trump aide informed an Israeli minister that a second Trump administration would not support Israeli sovereignty over settlements “in a vacuum”, similar to its stance in 2020.

The first Trump administration delivered major wins to Netanyahu, when it went against most of the world in recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital and accepting Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

While the US commitment to block annexation, made to the UAE, expires in 2024, a former Trump official told The Times of Israel that US support for sovereignty is unlikely to change drastically. “If it happens, it will have to be part of a process,” the former Trump official said.

Trump’s former Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, urged Israeli ministers to focus on strengthening Israel’s ties with the US and addressing security challenges first, rather than assuming annexation is imminent.

He told The Times of Israel, “I think it’s important for those in Israel who are celebrating President Trump’s victory to do so because of President Trump’s strong support for Israel, as evidenced by the many historic things he did during his first term. Certain Israeli ministers are assuming that the extension of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is now automatically a done deal and that it will happen almost as soon as President Trump is sworn in.”

“I suggest they take a breath. If I were advising those ministers, I would highly recommend that their focus initially be on working closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu to enable him to deepen Israel’s relationship with the US and to allow him to work on the tremendous threats and challenges Israel is now facing. There will be a time to have a discussion about Judea and Samaria, but context and timing are important,” Greenblatt added.

The warnings come after Netanyahu and his supporters celebrated the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House next year, hailing what a leader of the settler movement called an ally who would support them “unconditionally”, Reuters reported.

Congratulating Trump, Netanyahu said the former president was set for “history’s greatest comeback”. Trump defeated his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in a presidential election held in the US last week.

READ: Netanyahu promotes genocide and annexation with his choice of Leiter as Israeli ambassador to the US