Donald Trump's opposition to the annexation of the occupied West Bank to Israel was reaffirmed yesterday, Monday, by a White House official, in a statement published by the Reuters news agency, against the backdrop of decisions by the Israeli government regarding the strengthening of Jerusalem's control over areas of Palestinian interest.
The White House statement was issued in response to the Israeli Security Council's approval of a series of measures aimed at strengthening Jerusalem's administrative influence over areas of the West Bank, which the Palestinians consider part of their future state.
"President Trump has made it clear that he does not support the annexation of the West Bank by Israel," the statement, attributed to an unnamed White House official, said.
"Stability in the West Bank is key to peace"
In the same statement, the official emphasizes that "a stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is aligned with this administration's goal of achieving peace in the region," reiterating Washington's position in favor of de-escalation and avoiding unilateral actions.
However, the US statement does not explicitly condemn the measures adopted by Israel, which are considered to violate the Oslo Accords, as they extend the administrative powers of Jerusalem to areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
No mention of contacts with Netanyahu's government
At the same time, the statement does not clarify whether the United States has officially expressed its concerns to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Security Council's decisions.
Washington has made similar, general calls for maintaining stability in the West Bank in the past, in response to controversial Israeli decisions to expand settlements in the area, without directly condemning the specific actions.
Source: protothema.gr
