Desk Report:
Israel will not be allowed to occupy the West Bank. US President Donald Trump made this assurance in a meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
According to a report by the British newspaper Financial Times, the top leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Pakistan participated in the meeting. Not only the West Bank, but also the occupation of Gaza, the eviction of Palestinians and the risk of changing the historical location of holy sites in Jerusalem were discussed in the meeting. A source who was present at the meeting said that Trump responded very positively to all issues.
An official present at the meeting told Al Jazeera, “Netanyahu does nothing in the Middle East without the US green light. Since Trump has assured us, the concerns have eased a bit for now.” Another person present also confirmed Trump’s promise.
Meanwhile, several countries including the UK, Canada, France and Australia have recently officially recognized the state of Palestine. Western leaders say action is urgently needed to preserve the two-state solution. Analysts say the recognition is seen as a direct protest against Netanyahu, who has been committing war crimes in Gaza for two years.
However, the issue has caused a wide reaction in Israel. Netanyahu’s right-wing ministers have demanded the West Bank be quickly annexed by Israel. The Israeli prime minister said he would announce a final decision after meeting with Trump on Monday.
According to political analysts, taking steps to annex the West Bank would jeopardize the Abraham Accords signed in 2020. In particular, the Emirates, which was the first and most influential Arab country to normalize relations with Israel, has also declared such a move a “red line.”
Arab and European leaders have called on Washington to be more active around the UN General Assembly this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Arab leaders, “The Gaza issue is important for everyone. We understand the matter very clearly.’ However, he did not comment on the West Bank.
