Israeli cabinet debates West Bank annexation plans with US approval
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The Israeli occupation's cabinet debates applying sovereignty over West Bank areas as France prepares to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly.
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View of an area near Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, near where the Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, on August 21, 2025. (AP)
The Israeli Security Cabinet convened on Sunday evening to discuss the possibility of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank. The move comes as France and other countries prepare to recognize a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York.
The Jerusalem Post (JP) reported on Monday that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a leading figure of the far-right bloc, is pressing for a significant and not merely symbolic annexation. He has repeatedly raised the issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, framing "sovereignty" as a direct response to France’s diplomatic initiative.
In an exclusive report, several Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post that so-called "sovereignty over certain areas" is under serious consideration, though Netanyahu has yet to make a final decision.
While internal debate intensifies, the prime minister has remained cautious. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the report mentions, senior US officials recently told their Israeli counterparts that "the decision on sovereignty lies in Israel’s hands." The message, however, was interpreted as neither a full green light nor a red light.
'Israel' wants to eliminate the term West Bank
One official explained: "The Americans are telling Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials: first decide what you want, then talk to us."
On the US stance regarding the Israeli regime's annexation plans, the report highlights continued ambiguity. In August, US House Speaker Mike Johnson openly endorsed settler narratives during a trip organized by illegal settler groups in the occupied West Bank, declaring, "Judea and Samaria are part of Israel. We are working to eliminate the use of the term ‘West Bank’ in the administration, in Congress, and in the federal government."
Two weeks earlier, US Ambassador to the occupied Palestinian territories, Mike Huckabee, said the Trump administration respects "Israel’s" sovereignty in deciding on annexation. "He may express his own opinions, but he hasn’t stepped in to say, ‘You ought to annex this or that.’ I think he respects that Israel is a sovereign country," Huckabee noted.
The Smotrich push for annexation underscores a broader trend within Netanyahu’s government, as far-right ministers seek to entrench control over the occupied territories.
The deliberations signal that any recognition of Palestinian statehood by foreign governments may be met with hardline countermeasures.
Smotrich approves settlement plans to 'bury the Palestinian state'
Earlier last month, Smotrich approved the advancement of the E1 settlement plan, a long-stalled construction project that would effectively sever east occupied al-Quds from the rest of the occupied West Bank. "The plan will bury the idea of a Palestinian state," Smotrich stated, describing it as the "final nail in the coffin" for Palestinian statehood.
According to Smotrich, the plans have been advanced with complete coordination with Netanyahu and "our friends in the United States." "The US administration completely supports our steps in the West Bank," he said.
The plan reportedly includes the construction of 3,401 housing units in Ma'aleh Adumim, an illegal settlement located in the occupied West Bank. Additionally, the area, known as E1, is considered strategically vital by both Israeli authorities and Palestinians.
"From the Palestinian perspective and that of the international community, this is a critical area. Without it, the establishment of a Palestinian state with East al-Quds as its capital is simply impossible," Smotrich said.
