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U.S. Gives Israel Permission to Annex the West Bank // Jimmy Dore
Jimmy Dore | Trusted Newsmaker
Trump Greenlights Netanyahu’s West Bank AnnexationIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made no secret of his long-term ambition: the permanent annexation of the occupied West Bank. Now, with open backing from Donald Trump’s administration, that ambition is closer than ever. A sweeping settlement expansion plan, once frozen by international pressure, has been revived with Washington’s tacit approval, fundamentally reshaping the prospects for Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu Drops the Mask
At a signing ceremony in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, Netanyahu declared bluntly: “There will be no Palestinian state. This place belongs to us.” The agreement authorized construction under the long-delayed E1 settlement plan, which includes 3,400 new homes on a 12-square-kilometer tract of land east of Jerusalem. The expansion would sever much of the West Bank from East Jerusalem, destroying territorial continuity and rendering a Palestinian state nearly impossible.
The Smotrich Doctrine
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, outlined a vision for annexing up to 82% of the West Bank, leaving Palestinians confined to isolated “population centers.” His formula, in his own words, is for “maximum territory and minimum Arab population.” At the ceremony, he praised Netanyahu, saying Israelis would soon celebrate the “application of sovereignty” across Judea and Samaria — biblical terminology for Palestinian land.
Trump’s Green Light
While Netanyahu and Smotrich shed all pretense, Washington played enabler. U.S. officials made clear the Trump administration would not oppose annexation. Figures like Mike Huckabee openly stated the U.S. would respect whatever Israel decided, while Trump himself attempted to posture as though he had held “tough talks” with Netanyahu. In reality, there was no resistance. Israel enjoys complete freedom of action under Trump’s watch.
International Outrage
The response abroad has been damning. The International Court of Justice ruled Israel’s settlement activity unlawful, obligating withdrawal and evacuation of settlers. The UN General Assembly demanded an immediate halt to construction, with over 100 nations voting in favor. Yet Israel dismissed the rulings as “lies,” and pushed forward regardless. European states including Germany, France, and Belgium have since voiced support for a two-state solution, with some pledging recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN.
Palestinian Resistance
The Palestinian Authority condemned the annexation plan as a direct assault on peace. Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina insisted that East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state remains the key to any regional settlement. He accused Netanyahu of “pushing the entire region toward the abyss.” Yet the reality is grim: international recognition of Palestine grows, but on the ground, settlements carve the territory into isolated fragments.
Historical Continuity
Netanyahu’s annexation push is not new. He railed against the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, later boasting that he had “put an end” to them. In his first term, he helped establish the settlement of Har Homa in East Jerusalem, blocking potential Palestinian statehood. Today, emboldened by Trump’s support, he no longer hides his intentions. As critics note, the October 7th attacks provided the perfect pretext for accelerating long-standing plans to dispossess Palestinians of their land.
Netanyahu’s declaration that “there will be no Palestinian state” marks the death of even the illusion of peace negotiations. Backed by Trump’s administration and shielded from accountability, Israel has crossed into open annexation, transforming occupation into permanent sovereignty. The question now is not whether Palestine can be a state, but whether the world will accept a future where Palestinian self-determination is erased in plain sight.
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