The Jerusalem Post reported that it has learned from Israeli officials that the government is seriously considering the decision to annex the West Bank, following France and other countries announcing their intention to recognize it during the United Nations General Assembly meetings scheduled for the end of September in New York.
The newspaper noted that sources familiar with the communications between Tel Aviv and Washington said that American officials have informed their Israeli counterparts that the decision on sovereignty is primarily an Israeli matter. They clarified that “the American stance does not constitute a full green light for the move, but it is also not a red light.”
One official confirmed that the main message conveyed to Netanyahu and other officials in Israel is: “Decide what you want first, then talk to us.”
It is worth noting that Netanyahu proposed the idea of annexing the West Bank and the Jordan Valley in 2020, describing the move as a historical opportunity that comes only once a century.
The idea of imposing sovereignty over the West Bank and the term “Greater Israel” dates back to after the 1967 war, during which Israel occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, a term linked to a purported geographical context regarding the borders of a state in the region.
Currently, Israel is engaged in a wide-scale war against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing since October 7th, resulting in the deaths of more than 63,000 Palestinians and injuring about 160,000 others, according to data from the Gaza Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, Netanyahu rejects all domestic and international calls to end the war and opposes any internal voices urging him to negotiate a truce.
