Trump White House Objects to Israel’s Plan to Expand Control in West Bank
Israel’s security cabinet has given approval to measures that open the door for expanding settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
A White House official has reiterated Donald Trump’s opposition to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, as Israeli plans were announced that would pave the way for further settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The measures announced on Sunday include allowing Jewish Israelis to directly purchase West Bank land and increasing Israel’s control over areas where the Palestinian Authority dominates.
It is unclear when the new regulations approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet will come into effect, but they do not require further approval.
Following criticism from regional countries and others, a White House official said on Monday that “a stable West Bank keeps Israel safe and is consistent with this administration’s goal of bringing peace to the region.”
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. Approximately three million Palestinians live there.
Earlier, the UK appealed to Israel to reverse its decision, saying, “The UK strongly condemns yesterday’s decision by the Israeli Security Cabinet to expand Israeli control over the West Bank.
“Any unilateral attempt to alter the geographical or demographic structure of Palestine is completely unacceptable and would be contrary to international law. We urge Israel to immediately reverse these decisions,” the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump in the US on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by these changes and warned that they “undermine the prospects for a two-state solution,” his spokesperson said in a statement.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, would constitute the largest part of any future Palestinian state, but many on the religious right consider it Israeli land.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday that the changes are aimed at “deepening Israel’s roots in all areas of the Land of Israel and eliminating the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Guterres called Israel’s actions “destabilizing” and pointed to the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory was illegal.
A statement from Saudi Arabia, joined by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, “strongly condemned the illegal Israeli decisions and measures aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Smotrich issued a joint statement outlining the decisions of the five-member Security Cabinet, which was not published in full.
The Security Cabinet decided to repeal the law governing Jordanian control of the West Bank before 1967, making the land registry public instead of confidential and removing the need for permits from the Civil Administration Office.
They stated that these steps would make it easier for Jews to purchase land in the West Bank.
The Israeli measures also envisage transferring the authority to issue construction permits for settlements in the Palestinian city of Hebron—the largest city in the West Bank—from the Palestinian Authority to Israel.
In addition, this reform increases Israel’s control over two major religious sites in the southern West Bank: Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
The Palestinian presidency in Ramallah, which has limited control over some areas of the West Bank, said the move was intended to “deepen efforts to annex the occupied West Bank.”
