Issuing what amounts to a presidential decree, Donald Trump has declared that an Israeli annexation of the West Bank is hereby forbidden. His powerful and direct language—”I will not allow it”—leaves no doubt about the US position and serves as a direct order to the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This decree was announced as Netanyahu was arriving in the US for the UN General Assembly, creating an immediate and unavoidable diplomatic challenge for the Israeli leader. He must now decide how to respond to this public edict from his most crucial ally, which directly contradicts the goals of his far-right coalition members.
The context for this decree was a successful international lobbying campaign to prevent what was seen as an imminent crisis. Fearing Trump would recognize Israeli settlements in retaliation for their recognition of Palestine, European allies, along with Arab nations, mounted a significant diplomatic effort to warn of the “grave consequences.”
The subject of the decree, the West Bank, remains the primary point of contention in the conflict. The presence of 700,000 Israeli settlers, whose communities are considered illegal under international law, has long been the most difficult obstacle to a negotiated peace.
This decree is also strategically intertwined with a new American push for peace in Gaza. The US has presented a 21-point plan to end the brutal, nearly two-year war. By issuing a firm directive on the West Bank, Trump may be trying to project an image of strength and control, hoping to corral the parties into accepting a deal for Gaza.