Trump teases announcement on Israel’s annexation plan

President Donald Trump says his administration is in talks with Israeli representatives regarding long-shelved plan to apply Israeli sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, says no decision has been made yet but hints at major announcement next month.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump hinted Tuesday that his administration will be deliberating in the coming weeks on an Israeli plan to apply sovereignty over large swaths of Judea and Samaria.

Speaking at a joint press conference in the White House Tuesday afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump responded to questions from reporters regarding the premier’s long-shelved plan to extend Israeli sovereignty over Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu first announced the plan ahead of the September 2019 Knesset election, vowing to annex the Jordan Valley area, followed by the remaining Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.

In 2020, however, the proposal was shelved amid resistance from then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz and calls by the Trump administration to delay implementation of the plan in order to facilitate the signing of the Abraham Accords that year.

On Tuesday, however, Trump teased a major announcement on the Israeli sovereignty plan, saying that while no decision had yet been made, the White House would be speaking out on it in roughly a month.

“Do you support Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, areas which many believe is the biblical homeland of the Jewish people?” Israel National News’ Yoni Kempinski asked.

“We’re discussing that with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well,” Trump said.

“People do like the idea, but we haven’t taken a position on it yet. But we will be making an announcement probably on that very specific topic over the next four weeks.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who served during the first Trump administration, said that in 2020, Israel agreed to drop its sovereignty plan for four years, until after the 2024 presidential election.

AnnexationDonald TrumpJudea and SamariaSovereigntyTrump administration