United States: U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Israel risks losing critical American support if it annexes the occupied West Bank, calling the move a potential diplomatic disaster. His comments came during a Time magazine interview published on Thursday, following a phone conversation with the outlet on October 15.
“It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support,” Trump said when asked what consequences Israel would face if it pursued annexation.
“Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” he added.
The remarks came as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both warned Israeli lawmakers against pushing legislation that would formalize annexation of West Bank territories.
Vance and Rubio Criticize Annexation Bills
Israeli legislators have reportedly advanced two bills paving the way for the annexation of the West Bank, drawing strong criticism from Washington.
Vice President JD Vance, during the final day of his three-day visit to Israel, condemned the move in unusually blunt terms.
“It was a very stupid political stunt and I personally take some insult to it,” Vance said, reflecting Washington’s frustration over Israel’s internal political maneuvers amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking before departing Washington, also cautioned Israel that such steps could jeopardize the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which Trump brokered earlier this month.
Rubio warned that “parliamentary actions and settler violence” were undermining the truce and risked escalating tensions further.
Trump’s Broader Middle East Agenda
During his interview, Trump also expressed optimism about the Abraham Accords, suggesting that Saudi Arabia would join the normalization framework with Israel by the end of this year.
“Yes, I do. I do,” he told Time when asked if Riyadh would join within that timeframe.
“See, they had a problem. They had a Gaza problem, and they had an Iran problem. Now they don’t have those two problems,” Trump said, referring to the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump added that he was also weighing a decision on whether Israel should release Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, a senior Fatah figure long imprisoned by Israel, as part of potential peace-building measures.
Barghouti’s name appeared among those Hamas demanded for release during recent Gaza negotiations, according to Egyptian state-linked media.
Diplomatic Strain Amid Ceasefire Efforts
Trump has dispatched multiple senior U.S. officials to Israel in recent days to reinforce the fragile Gaza ceasefire, which remains under strain. The annexation debate, however, risks reigniting regional instability and straining U.S.–Israel relations at a delicate diplomatic juncture.
Trump Warns Israel Could Lose U.S. Support If It Annexes The West Bank
