"Marco Rubio cautions Israel against West Bank annexation following Knesset approval"

U.S. Official Cautions Israel Over West Bank Sovereignty Move

The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Wednesday cautioned Israel against extending its control over the West Bank, saying a preliminary parliamentary decision to assert sovereignty in the occupied region, along with increasing violence by settlers, posed a risk to stability.

A proposal to apply Israeli law in the West Bank—a step seen as equivalent to annexing land Palestinians seek for a future state—received initial approval from Israel’s legislature on Wednesday. This came just days after former President Donald Trump advanced an agreement meant to halt a two-year military operation in Gaza.

Such efforts "could undermine efforts to maintain peace," Rubio told reporters. "They are a democracy, they will have their votes, and people will express their views. But at this time, we believe this move may not be helpful."

While the bill still requires further approvals before becoming law, its preliminary endorsement has put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a difficult position. He had previously asked lawmakers to postpone the discussion until after U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit, aiming to avoid straining the fragile truce in Gaza. Washington has repeatedly stated that any formal extension of Israeli control over the West Bank would violate its conditions for peace.

In September, Trump had remarked at the White House, "I will not permit Israel to take over the West Bank. It’s not going to happen."

Rubio, while departing for a trip to Israel, said, "The president has made it clear this is not something we can support at the moment."

Despite Netanyahu’s appeals—including urging members of his Likud party not to participate—the vote led to heated exchanges in the Knesset. Avi Maoz, from the far-right Noam faction, declared, "The time has come to assert sovereignty," arguing Israelis had an obligation to "settle in the land of Israel."

Some officials in Trump’s administration had previously endorsed the idea of Israel absorbing the West Bank. However, attitudes have shifted as several Arab and Islamic nations—whose cooperation the U.S. seeks for postwar reconstruction in Gaza—have strongly opposed any expansion of Israeli control over Palestinian territories.

Israel has held the West Bank since seizing it from Jordan in the 1967 war. Since then, successive governments have sought to solidify Israeli authority, partly by designating large areas as "state land," preventing Palestinian ownership.

After Hamas’s October 2023 assault, which led to Israel’s military action in Gaza, the country’s far-right government—the most hardline in its history—has intensified efforts to extend sovereignty over the West Bank, approving numerous new settlements in Palestinian areas at an unprecedented rate.

In August, Israel greenlit a long-postponed settlement plan that would effectively cut off the West Bank from East Jerusalem, dividing the territory and weakening prospects for a cohesive Palestinian state.