Trump Tells Arab and Muslim Leaders He Will Block Israeli Annexation of West Bank
- Trump assured Arab leaders at the UN that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
- Arab states warned that such a move could collapse the Abraham Accords.
- Erdogan called the meeting “fruitful,” while details of Trump’s peace plan remain scarce.
President Donald Trump pledged to Arab leaders in a closed-door meeting at the United Nations that he would prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from annexing the West Bank, six people familiar with the talks told Politico.
According to two attendees, Trump was firm in stating that Israel would not be permitted to absorb the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority rather than Hamas. His team reportedly presented a white paper outlining Washington’s plan to end the nearly two-year war with Hamas. The document included the annexation pledge as well as proposals for postwar governance and security.
Arab and Muslim Leaders’ Concerns
Arab leaders entered the meeting with a clear warning: any Israeli attempt to annex the West Bank could unravel the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements brokered during Trump’s first term. According to two of those present, leaders pressed Trump to use U.S. influence to restrain Netanyahu.
The White House has not yet issued a readout of the meeting, nor did Trump speak to reporters afterward, despite calling the session with eight Arab countries his “most important” of the day.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the meeting as “fruitful” in an interview on Fox News but gave no further details. He is scheduled to meet Trump again at the White House on Thursday.
Trump’s promise comes at a time of deep Arab frustration over his rejection of Palestinian statehood and ongoing support for Israel’s offensive against Hamas. The conflict, now approaching its second year, recently spread beyond Gaza after Israel targeted Hamas officials in Qatar during peace talks.
The White House has not commented publicly on the president’s pledge or on the reported peace framework.
