U.S. Leaders Condemn Israeli Knesset Vote Toward West Bank Annexation
Vice President Vance calls move a “stupid political stunt” as Secretary of State Rubio warns annexation would threaten Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
JERUSALEM — Senior U.S. officials have sharply criticized Israel’s parliament after it gave preliminary approval to a bill that would extend Israeli law to the occupied West Bank — a move widely seen as a step toward annexation.
As reported by BBC, the symbolic 25–24 vote in the Knesset was backed by far-right lawmakers but opposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, who called it “a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, wrapping up a visit to Israel, told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport that the measure was “a very stupid political stunt” and personally insulting. He stressed that the Trump administration’s policy remains firmly opposed to any annexation of the West Bank, saying, “The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel… If people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren’t happy about it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking before his own departure for Israel, warned that annexation would threaten President Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza, calling it "counterproductive" to ongoing peace efforts.
The bill, introduced by members outside the governing coalition, must pass three further readings and committee review before becoming law. With Likud’s opposition, analysts say it is unlikely to advance.
In an English-language statement, Netanyahu’s office emphasized that only “one disgruntled Likud member” voted for the bill and that his coalition partners abstained. “Without Likud support, these bills are unlikely to go anywhere,” it said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, in an interview with Time magazine, reaffirmed that annexation “will not happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries,” warning that Israel “would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Knesset’s move, asserting that Israel “has no sovereignty” over Palestinian territory, while regional powers renewed warnings that annexation would destroy prospects for a two-state solution.
The Knesset vote coincided with renewed U.S. diplomacy aimed at stabilizing Gaza under the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which includes a ceasefire, Israeli troop withdrawals, and increased humanitarian aid.
Despite sporadic violations, both Vance and Rubio expressed cautious optimism that the truce is holding. The plan’s second phase envisions the creation of an interim Gaza government, deployment of an international stabilization force, and the disarmament of Hamas.
The Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and left 1,200 Israelis dead in the initial assault.
Previously, UOJ reported that Israel’s parliament narrowly approved the preliminary reading of a bill to apply Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank.
