Netanyahu, settlers push West Bank annexation ahead of Trump meeting

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
Today 09:36
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Facing growing global support for Palestine, Netanyahu courts settler leaders and pushes annexation plans in defiance of international law.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not shown) hold a joint press conference at the Prime Minister's Office, during Rubio's visit, in al-Quds, Monday, September 15, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with West Bank settler leaders in New York on Sunday evening, ahead of his scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu told the delegation that he intended to raise the issue of “Israel" annexing the West Bank during his talks at the White House.

At the same time, Netanyahu reportedly acknowledged the “complicated reality,” suggesting that any move toward annexation is unlikely in the immediate future.

His remarks come as Netanyahu faces mounting pressure from settler leaders and far-right allies, whose calls for annexing occupied Palestinian land grow louder in response to recent Western recognition of a Palestinian state; a move he continues to resist publicly while enabling on the ground.

The meeting included senior settler figures such as Israel Ganz, head of the Yesha Council, and Yossi Dagan, who chairs the Samaria Regional Council. Both have been vocal advocates of annexation, framing it as the ultimate rejection of Palestinian statehood.

Netanyahu: We have a supportive [US] president

Meanwhile, Trump has publicly ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank, while the United Arab Emirates, a key regional partner that normalized ties with “Israel” five years ago, has warned that such a move would cross a “red line.”

In the meeting, Netanyahu contrasted Trump’s stance with that of former US President Barack Obama, who had pushed for a freeze on settlement expansion. “We have a supportive president,” Netanyahu reportedly said. “Remember the Obama era, when he told us not to lay even one brick.”

It is worth noting that Ganz has lately shared on X that he and other settler leaders had visited the New York gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the late head of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He said the visit was made to pray for the "application of Israeli sovereignty" to the West Bank. In his post, Ganz wrote: “The clear message of settlement is, no to a Palestinian state, yes to applying sovereignty.”

This is happening amid heightening Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank, as "Israel" is still launching raids across Palestinian towns and villages, detaining Palestinian youths with no formal charges, arbitrarily killing Palestinians, and demolishing homes.

Trump vows 'something special' in ME

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for their fourth encounter since Trump returned to power in January, more than with any other world leader. The meeting comes as the two prepare for potentially fraught talks over Gaza, with Trump pushing a 21-point Gaza plan and Netanyahu determined to pursue the total defeat of the Resistance in Gaza.

During UN meetings in New York, Trump unveiled his 21-point Gaza peace plan to Arab and Islamic leaders, a blueprint that seeks to end nearly two years of "Israel's" genocidal war on Gaza.

The proposal reportedly envisions a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all remaining captives held by the Palestinian Resistance, and the deployment of an international stabilization force to ensure security in the territory. Oversight would fall to an international supervisory body, while a Palestinian committee would administer Gaza during a transitional period.

Efforts to reach a ceasefire-for-captives deal collapsed earlier this month after an Israeli strike in Doha targeted Hamas leaders. Since then, Hamas has said no new proposals have been received from international mediators, deepening the stalemate.