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The United States will announce its position on the annexation of the West Bank in the coming weeks. This was stated by US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday, The Time of Israel reports.
“We’ve been discussing this issue with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well,” Trump said when asked about his support for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (as the West Bank is known in Israel).
According to him, the US has not yet decided on its position on the annexation, but the final decision will be made in the near future.
“People like this idea, but we have not yet taken a specific position. Over the next four weeks, we will make an official announcement on this issue,” the US leader said.
Normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia and possible concessions
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli coalition officials said that Netanyahu might give up the annexation of the West Bank to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia.
According to the sources, during the closed-door talks, Trump made it clear that the annexation of the West Bank was not a pressing issue at the moment.
In early January, Settlement Council Chairman Yisrael Gantz said that the annexation of the West Bank was “on the table” during discussions with the Trump administration, but that the process “takes time.”
Thus, the final US position on the annexation will be determined in the coming month, and it may be linked to the process of normalisation of relations between Israel and Arab countries.
