Public sentiment regarding US-Israel relations and the potential annexation of the West Bank is sharply divided. Many express strong support for Israel's territorial claims and skepticism towards opposition narratives, while a substantial counter-narrative voices outrage over perceived ethnic cleansing and injustices against Palestinians. The discussions reveal a conflict fueled by historical grievances, political affiliations, and a complex geopolitical backdrop, leading to heightened emotions from both sides.

United States

Israel

Palestinians

Will they extend citizenship to the millions of Arabs who live there? You could debate whether or not the West Bank fell under Apartheid, but if they annex it and don’t give the Arabs living there citizenship, it removes any doubt.

Probably_A_Box

Sometimes it really feels like the whole world just wants to keep the Palestinians in a stateless limbo to use as a political football. Does anyone think the bizarre patchwork quilt that is the current West Bank can operate as two sovereign countries? It just doesn’t make geometric sense. We didn’t do that with Armenian and Azerbaijan, we didn’t do that with Indian and Pakistan, we didn’t do that with East Timor Indonesia, we didn’t do that with Sudan and South Sudan, And we certainly didn’t try to turn the clock back and have three generations worth of refugees all need to move to a new country that doesn’t exist. Why the insistence on impossible solutions?

throwawayyawaworth77

Very misleading article.

Firstly, it doesn't say the whole West Bank, just the settlements. Also, there's zero chance this goes anywhere and is just right wing trolling. Netanyahu stated himself he opposes the bill, and it's the stance of his party, Likud, to oppose the bill. It's only in the preliminary stages and unlikely to go any further. The only reason it got this far was because a member of Netanyahu's party broke rank and was swiftly removed from his seat for doing so.

Taxibl

Stoic_cave

This seems bad. Less immediately harmful than a war costing thousands of lives but way more explicitly bad faith behavior. Even Trump is kinda-sorta giving lip service to two state solution again, but this kind of rewarding of the settlers’ behavior is impossible to justify unless your intention is for there to never be a Palestine.

lobotomy42

The world needs to condemn and isolate Israel.

25electrons

rotobug

Much of area C would be unlikely to be given towards a "Palestinian" atate even if there was a 2 state solution process (which isn't on the table right now and likely won't be)

Somw of these areas are not only important religiously, but tactically. No way in heck will Iarael just let yhem have the hugh ground above the Ben Gurion Airport, for example.

And as a reminder. At no point did it belong to the "Palestinians". The 2 dtate solution was non binding and was rejected.

Prior to that. ALL of the land as part of the 1917 Balfour declaration and the 1922 Legaue of nations mandate that followed. And reinforced with defacto control of it after conquering it from Jordan. 

If you eant to support a 2 state solution, it has to come from a place of "let's solve this" not "it's mine" regardless of the facts

SoulForTrade

[deleted]

ApartmentDecent8747

A land cannot be “occupied” by its owners

Nauborn

So what's next, Israel's pissed off the UAE over this and they nope right out of the Abraham Accord?

disharmony-hellride

I agree with Vance tbh, symbolic votes are worthless. I think he's right when it comes to the Knesset constantly doing performative bullshit. Why pass a resolution to annex Judea and Samariawhen you're no going to even follow through?

As i've said before, i'd like Israel to adopt the attitude of "speak softly and carry a big stick". Knesset resolutions tend to be the opposite of that

Raaaasclat

Cant have one month without the far right creating another diplomatic incident with their stupid decisions

Deep_Head4645

mazariel

So... What are we going to do with Maleh Adumim and Efrat? Are they going to become part of the democratic, diverse, free and open Palestinian state? Or is ethnic cleansing acceptable when it comes to Jews?

ShortHabit606

מישהו מדוברי העברית פה באמת חושב שלספח חלקים מהגדה זה חשוב וחיובי למדינה כרגע (או בכלל?) מנסה להבין אם התגובות באנגלית מייצגות הסאב הזה

TinyPinecone

Aka Trump will lose his plane and money from Qatar.

DaveFromBPT

When looking at the stats of my own comments on this sub, I see that most people are from the US… with their own political points of view, passing it as Israel’s point of view.

CervusElpahus

Well of course hw would not support an action that will turn Israel into an aparthide state or will make the jews the minority in Israel

Tomas-T

Merit of annexation aside for a moment, no, not likely at all. Pro and anti Israel individuals point to declining public support for Israel, with dread or glee, but at the end of the day it does not matter what foreign public’s think of their nations foreign policy. It’s well established within political science that foreign policy is conducted by political elites with national security professionals outside of public opinion, public opinion only becomes a concern when you have soldiers dying. The US has close relations with Saudi Arabia because it’s assessed as in our interest by those professionals. Saudi Arabia is despised by the public, rightly, yet it keeps on going. Worth considering this implication. Unless the national security establishment decides the relationship with Israel is no one longer in our interest, political elites mostly just follow them, it will remain a close ally. 

As to the merits of annexation, bad idea. This does not imply that the military presence should end, that would also be bad. Right now there is not a solution, just a problem to be managed. Maybe an acceptable solution is possible in the future, I have no idea how it would come about, but any opening will be then result of that management.

Due-Direction8590

Israel’s leverage comes from the threat to annex.  It should only be done in response to something extreme, and as much as France and the UK recognizing a Palestinian state frustrated me, it’s pretty meaningless in reality.  If the US ever did ever cut off support or not block UN sanctions, that’s the time to do it.

Mosk915

Fuck Trump and Vance.  They are destroying the United States and breaking up all of its alliances.  If someone wanted to destroy the United States, they would likely be doing what Trump and Vance are doing.  They already alienated Canada and Europe.  Now they're about to alienate Israel, Ukraine and South Korea.  They are crushing the US government's finances.  The government shutdown is the pretext they're using to fire all the experts from the US government.  They're also preparing to persecute the Democrats.  Trump wants to be dictator and his party is full of nazis.  I'm not exaggerating.  The Republican party has actual nazis and Trump and Vance did not condemn them.

[‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146)

I did not see a single comment by Trump, Vance or any member of the administration condemning these nazis in their party.  The Republican party is not a friend of the Jewish people.  They're about to throw Israel under the bus and they're empowering nazis in the US.  The Jewish people are in great danger worldwide.

Monnoppoly

I’d still support you, but I have no real power.

abaddon667

Trump said that Israel would have the West Bank, now he is saying something else. It is on him actually. Just take what the embassador had said previously.

Ok-Toe-1673

Can we establish a Palestinian state already? What are we waiting for? Both sides aren't getting any more moderate, the longer we wait the harsher the consequences will be....

Proof_Pirate_6229

Trump and his peace prize 🏆! I am sorry Trump, but you will never get it. So no need to begin to start to hate Israel and continue to love Putin and Zelenskyy at once. 
I stand with Israel 🇮🇱

timgakk

If Israel annexes the West Bank / Gaza, doesn't that mean that more anti-zionists would be able to vote?  Which is harmful to Israel?

strained_brain

Sctumsempra

I'm a Trump fan but please keep your bulldog Vance at home.  You know he's itching to attack a la Zelensky.  Thank you for Rubio though...

taxmandan

Repulsive-Zone8176

hinaultpunch

Maybe don’t annex them then. Trump kind of helped Israel a lot recently. Maybe a little gratitude.

UltraAirWolf

Trump is a clown. Let him run his circus, and we keep making allies. In a few years he will be out of office, and, if he keeps up with his policies, the U.S will be out of an empire, that is the real thing we must prepare for. Bessides, he needs us more than we need him, if he wants to keep what little influence the U.S still has on the middle east.

icarofap

He's already holding support over Israel's head? What a shock. Here I thought everyone loved him for being in support of Israel. I'm so SHOCKED he never cared in the first place WOW. What an insane switch up nobody could've seen coming. 

OliveLively

It's time we rehabilitate ourselves from our addiction to American support. They're not anywhere close to a reliable ally, as we can see here. Israel needs to do what's best for Israel and only what's best for Israel. We can no longer allow a foreign country to dictate our domestic policies.

to_boldly_go_1701_

Bibi (plus Smotrich and the gang) are contemplating declaring Trump an anti Israeli enemy. An extremist lefty and Hamas sympathizer. Did Trump forget that Israel is the home of Jewish people and it can do whatever Ben Gvir demands? Now that Hamas knows the government is planning to annex the West Bank, it will disarm and declare Bibi the  GOAT!

Oberon_17

There's no need. Just keep building homes and developments. Increase the pace. Quietly. Don't let egomaniacs like Ben Gvir make press conferences about it.

borderpac

shadytraveler

Yes please.

Enough is enough. We're not a US vassal state

notsharpnotcut

As if we care, I have been saying this for years now: Israel must show a backbone and stop relying on the United Theft of America! Zionism in its core is the antithesis to what these colonizers who squat in the stolen Americas and Oceania are and who think they can preach us and run the world as they whim.

Expensive_Warthog_68

The USA will back Israel. Just take it and watch them do almost nothing.

CrazyAd1691

Who watches over Israel? God. Not America. If you read the Bible which is also a historical account of the land in Middle East you will see Judea and Samaria are the heartland of the Jewish people. Literally Jewish Kings came from there. 

Novarupti

Annexation is legitimately stupid, through and through. Not even slightly a path to peace. 

zachgalifinapple

[JPost: Netanyahu: West Bank annexation bill a ‘provocation’ to sow discord between Israel, US](https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-871404)

Sossy2020

Trump just giving away Israel’s negotiation leverage for nothing in return.

These things should be said in private to the people who make the decisions, not declared in a public interview. Idiot.

miraj31415

[Working link](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-would-lose-all-support-from-the-us-if-it-annexes-west-bank-trump-warns/)

Israel should have annexed everything as soon as the territory was won. It would be settled and done decades later.

NYSenseOfHumor

Trump should know the vote today was for applying sovereignty and not annexation as by the Israeli law Judea and Samaria is a disputed territory and doesn't require annexation.

Ok_Lingonberry5392

The Saudi statement was perfect:  Ben Gvir and Smotrich aren't serious people; we'll normalize relations with Israel once it's not run by right wingers and agrees to the principle of a 2-state solution.

Alt_North

Im hoping the threat of this effective annexation and trumps desire to be seen as some great peacemaker could lead to some camp david style talks.

Proper-Community-465

There is a lot of confusion what "annexing" means and which territory it would apply to; it's even more confusing because none of the proposed bills even uses the word "annex" and the bills are purposefully ambiguous (since first, this is just preliminary voting, and second, they aren't intended to become law anyway).

Many people seem to assume that "annexing" applies to the whole of West Bank, or to Area C, and Palestinians who live in the annexed areas will become eligible for citizenship, similar to current Arab residents of East Jerusalem.

While these ideas do exist, the bills the Knesset voted on the other day were only intended to apply to settlements (all or some).

Settlements, for all intents and purposes, are part of Israel. Israelis are free to move back and forth (though for some remote settlements it could be complicated), settle there, work, open businesses, etc. However, *legally* Israeli laws don't apply to settlements since they are on the "occupied territory" under control of IDF. This conundrum is typically resolved by IDF re-publishing relevant Israeli laws as "military orders".

Over the years, this situation seemed more and more absurd. In fact, on multiple occasions Knesset already voted in some laws which apply to settlements, which it can't do on the "occupied territories". This led some critics to claim that settlements have already been factually annexed.

That's what current (futile) push to "annexation" is about: not to give anyone citizenship, not to acquire any additional territory, not to change status quo in the West Bank, but make Israeli laws apply to settlements directly, without IDF involvement.

That said, whatever actual text of the bill says, to the outside world it'll still sound "annexation of West Bank", making this effectively DOA. Still, politicians in Israel being what are everywhere, love political theatre, so we have all these "annexation bills" which won't go anywhere.

Importantly, while practical relevance of these bills is zero and legal meaning is ambiguous, the underlying message is not. In the current Knesset, majority of members believe that West Bank (Judea and Samaria) is historical territory of Israel and once Israel has taken control over it back in 1967, it will never allow any Arab "state" on this territory. Agree with this position or disagree, but it's a fact.

knign

It's pretty clear the overall plan now. Anyone from a county with a genocidal history (US, UK, Aus, Canada, Germany, etc) all should recognize how we do this. 

Settle your people on all the land backed by military force. Erase as much culture and livelihood that you can, block access to land, livestock, crops. Dehumanize them, deny they even exist as a people. 

Heard people into smaller and smaller areas (reservations, ghettos). Imprison anyone who seems like they're causing trouble. 

Palestinians are going to be all herded into isolated cities dotted across the West Bank and Gaza. Then they're just slowly squeezed out of relevance. Maybe they can have casinos or something.

blyzo

The opposition approved bills that didn't even need voting on in Knesset, Israel is not annexing Area C, the E1 plan formalizes some exclusive Israeli settlements that have been there for years its not changing the status for Palestinian although it will change their ability to traverse WB. This isn't annexation either.



The Opposition passed these bills because they want to undermine the coalition and try to harm the relationship between the Israeli Government and the United States particularly Netanyahu with Trump.

Trump has to pretend to block all such Israeli intentions(as if he runs the country) as he promised the Arabs, and this undermines his peace proposals, in a few months time when its clear Hamas isn't surrendering Israel will go ahead with E1  anyway but the only reason this was passed now was due to politics. 

The left in Israel and really all Netanyahu opponents have little chance in the next election but it doesn't stop them from trying stunts like this and then the left in the United States can claim that Israel embarassed whoever was visiting at the time.

TheSameDifference

We pro Palestinians are not shocked by this turn of events. It’s almost like we’ve been saying that Israel is going to do this again and again and again and again and again. I really don’t know what more we could have done to tell people that eventually annexation will happen. So now the cards are on the table

Dear Israel: you had a vote on a bill, what are you going to do about it? Subvert the system because you don’t like the outcome?

Dear Trump: you said they aren’t going to do it, how are you going to prevent them? What are you going to do when they go for it?

untamepain

Can't trust what Trump says. He told Zelensky to agree to Putins demands, but now the US is sending tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

artyspangler

Israel has de facto annexed Area-C.  They are getting the world acclemated to de jure annexation of Area-C.  That's a good thing.  It ends the ambiguity of a Schrödinger's Occupation.  As for your analysis it seems fair.  

I also don't think Trump nor a Democrat would cut off Israel over annexing the West Bank.  It screws up Trump's current policy.  It long-term makes things a lot easier for the USA.

JeffB1517

I am no expert in Israeli politics. Something doesnt make sense, if Netanyahu didnt want to be "embarrased", he and Likud members could have simply voted No and this farce would not have passed. But they chose to abstain/ boycott the vote. Hence the pre-liminary reading was passed by one vote. 25-24. There are 32 Likud members in the Knesset, minus 1 who voted for this bill. 

There are 120 Kneesset members, only 49 voted on the bill? Come on, does this even make any sense. Looks like alot of charade. Nothing will pass if Netanyahu doesnt want it to. It's a numbers game.

BleuPrince

Has Israel not already slowly been annexing the West Bank? That's a major part of the conflict, is it not? Where exactly is the line in the sand on this threat?

NativeMasshole

Is this a suggestion?  Feels like the word could is doing a lot of heavy lifting here in this statement.

idungiveboutnothing

The thing that is so hard for me (as a mostly disinterested party) is both of the sides involved are mostly unlikeable.

One side has an official policy that they want to genocide the other.  But they have no capability to do it.  And, honestly, can't do very much.

Then you have the other side who says they just want to live in peace and not be attacked.  But that side always escalates.  And meanwhile have been slowly taking over the more peaceful parts of the first side's land.

Add to that that most of it is a PR war.  It's pretty hard to really understand what is going on on the ground there.  It is so far away.  And everyone has an incentive to shift the narrative to their side.

jojotortoise

Starter comment: Yesterday the Israeli Knesset passed a bill that will advances the annexation of West bank and now Trump warned that if Israel proceeds with their annexing of the West Bank, it could risk losing all US support. He said that the annexation would violate assurances and deals that he gave to Arab nations and it would break his Gaza peace deal that Israel signed and agreed on. 


That being said, I feel like this is empty threat. A similar thing happened in Syria where Trump called out Israel for supporting Druze and bombing Syrian government, and no2 a couple months later nothing changed, he's still supporting Israel despite the fact they are still annexing more Syrian lands and they helped the Druze forming a militia against the Syrian government.

BabylonianWeeb

LessRabbit9072

The bill was passed by Israel’s opposition to deliberately try and make Israel look bad to Trump, and evidently the ploy worked.

The reality is, it’s not happening, the Israeli Prime Minister said so, the major Israeli parties of the current government voted against it, and the opposition parties only voted for it so they could give Israel’s Prime Minister a black eye with Trump, which would help them electorally (elections in about a year).

It was passed by a single vote, and despite there being 120 members of the Israeli Knesset, the vote was 25-24, because no one was attending the session.

One member of the Israeli Prime Minister’s party voted for it. He was removed from his position as chair of the relevant committee as a result.

In short, political stunt that people did for Trump, and it worked.

justafutz

The true name of this land is Judea and Samaria read your Bible this is the same land that Jesus Christ and the Apostles walked back and forth 2,000 years ago.

All I know is the nations who try to make Israel divide this land will have to face the wrath of God.

For God says "For Behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshapat; And I will enter into judgement with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land." Joel 3:1-2

Is not hard to see what is going to happen in the near future Israel is going to be pressured to give up more land. Even today Vance and Rubio are coming against Israel for the vote they had yesterday regading the annexation of Judea and Samaria. The Nations will eventually invade Israel and come to take them out is written in the Bible by various Prophets both in the Old &amp; New Testament but in the end all these nations will be surprised when God All Mighty intervenes on behalf of His people His heritage Israel and then the Nations will have to face the wrath of God for what they have done to His land and His heritage.

Ok_Engineer5155

The necessity of Israel to US geopolitical goals in the middle east means that the US will ***never*** actually pull support for Israel in any meaningful way, so this is empty bluster from Trump. Aside from that, it seems like Israel isn't actually going to go through with this since the vote was:

A) only the first vote out of the four needed for it to actually happen, and

B) pushed by lawmakers that aren't part of Israel's current ruling coalition.

Soooo... yeah. Nothing to see here.

That_Nineties_Chick

I wonder what his ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee thinks about that. In 2017, [he said](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/12/politics/mike-huckabee-israel/index.html): "There is no such thing as a West Bank - it's Judea and Samaria. There's no such thing as a settlement. They're communities. They're neighborhoods. They're cities. There's no such thing as an occupation."

Aqquila89

While I support it because the PA and PLO continue to have pay to slay program, continue to give siphons to the families of terrorists as a result of the slay program, have zero accountability if one of their people attack or kill a settler unlike the Israeli government that does punish settler violence, celebrated with a giant parades during October 7th and have shown overwhelming support for Hamas, gave refuge to Hamas, the majority of them are jordanians who kicked out and killed some of the longest living Jewish tribes dating back almost 4,000 years, and a good chunk of Jordan was part of the original two-state solution which It's where the people should have returned after 1948, and I could go on and on... 

At the moment, this would be politically catastrophic for Israel. So they are going to have to decide whether they can secure their own borders without International support, or if they are going to leave themselves open to having a jihadist neighbor right on their doorstep. It is kind of a shit choice either way.  

But Mexico had done to the US what Gaza did to Israel... there would simply be no more Gaza. We would have: not prolonged the war for 2 years, we would not have continued to give any kind of food or aid if the enemy were apprehending the majority of it as per the rules of the Geneva Convention, and we wouldn't have given two shits if the leaders of Mexico were laying back and enjoying comfort in Qatar, we would have blown up the entire goddamn building they were in. 

This is who Hamas is
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DP_zMYxjT8O/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPwM9pzjVU4/

PoliticalVtuber

USA is saying do it in private basically 

Sensitive_Carob4624

adamduke88

Recent statements from U.S. President Donald Trump indicate strong opposition to Israel's potential annexation of the West Bank, emphasizing that any annexation would result in Israel losing all U.S. support.

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