US VP says West Bank annexation won’t happen, calls vote a ‘political stunt’ - Salam
Salam - US Vice President JD Vance criticised an Israeli parliamentary move that would extend Israeli law over the occupied West Bank, calling it a “stupid political stunt” and saying President Trump would not support annexation.
Vance told reporters the West Bank would not be annexed and that it was the policy of the US administration to oppose such a step. The bill, which would amount to applying Israeli law to territory Palestinians want for a future state, passed a preliminary reading by a narrow margin in the Israeli parliament.
The motion was backed by far-right figures and sponsored by Avi Maoz. Israeli leaders later described the vote as a deliberate provocation meant to create division. Observers warn that despite political statements, de facto annexation has been happening as settlements expand across the West Bank.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, which international law and the International Court of Justice have said are illegal and should be withdrawn from. Settler violence against Palestinians - including attacks on homes, olive groves and villages, sometimes with little intervention from soldiers - has increased, and rights groups report the army often fails to stop or even shields settlers.
Since October 7, 2023, over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, and thousands more displaced. The first half of 2025 saw hundreds of settler attacks causing casualties or damage, and Israeli raids and arrests in towns and refugee camps have caused mass displacement.
The US has long been a close ally of Israel, and the Trump administration exerts significant influence. Earlier objections from the US appeared to stall annexation plans, and senior US officials have been visiting the region to support a fragile ceasefire and push for a plan to stabilise Gaza and possibly move toward a political solution.
Many Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Türkiye, along with other regional organisations, condemned the parliamentary vote and warned against steps that undermine prospects for a just resolution. May Allah grant justice and relief to the innocent, and guide leaders to a peaceful, fair outcome.
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