Trump Tells Netanyahu: 'I Will Not Allow' West Bank Annexation

President Donald Trump has declared that he "will not allow" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, marking a sharp public divergence from a longstanding Israeli political objective.

Speaking at a rally, as reported by the BBC, President Trump indicated that he believes annexing the territory would be detrimental to regional stability and complicate future peace negotiations. This statement directly contradicts the hopes of hardline elements within Netanyahu's governing coalition, who have pushed for the extension of Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank.

Trump's position represents a significant shift in his public rhetoric concerning Israel’s territorial ambitions. While his administration has been a staunch supporter of Israel, providing diplomatic backing for its actions, the President now appears to draw a clear line against unilateral annexation.

The BBC report shows that this declaration comes at a critical time when the prospect of renewed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations remains dormant, and Netanyahu's government faces domestic political pressure to formalise control over parts of the West Bank.

The White House previously signaled that any major territorial changes should be contingent on a broader peace agreement, though the President’s latest remarks are his most forceful to date in opposing annexation directly.

Israeli officials have not yet issued a formal response to the President’s statement, but the rebuke from Israel's closest ally is likely to cause immediate political fallout in Jerusalem.

There are analysts who suggest that the move by President Trump is an attempt to preserve the theoretical possibility of a two-state solution, or at least a framework for a future settlement, which many international observers believe would be irrevocably harmed by annexation.