Could the President-elect endorse Israeli annexation of the West Bank? Several recent appointments suggest a degree of openness to the idea. The President-elect’s choice for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a past proponent of annexation, has indicated to Israeli Army Radio that annexation is a possibility, although no decision has been made. Encouraged by Trump’s selections, pro-annexation Israeli hardliners are actively promoting the plan.
Whether Trump intended to signal support for annexation is uncertain, but if Israel interprets it as such, the consequences will likely be devastating. Israeli annexation of the West Bank would eliminate any hope of a Palestinian state, severely damage U.S. global standing, and plunge a region with substantial U.S. troop presence into its worst turmoil since at least the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. This would be disastrous for U.S. interests, and the Trump Administration must strongly oppose it.
Israeli annexation of the core of a future Palestinian state would spark widespread unrest, potentially igniting new waves of terrorism targeting not only Israel but also the U.S. U.S. support for Tel Aviv was one of Osama bin Laden’s stated justifications for declaring jihad against the U.S. U.S. officials have already informed Congress that U.S. backing of Israel’s war in Gaza could incite future anti-American terrorism, given Washington’s role as Tel Aviv’s primary arms supplier, potentially with significant repercussions.
Terrorism is not an existential threat in itself. However, terrorist attacks have repeatedly prompted Washington to take actions that undermine U.S. security—including the 20-year occupation of Afghanistan, the ongoing anti-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria, and other misadventures stemming from the Global War on Terrorism. These self-inflicted wounds are a primary reason the U.S. remains entangled in the Middle East, despite widespread expert consensus that Washington should prioritize a rising China and domestic issues.
Further risks of U.S. involvement extend beyond terrorism. West Bank annexation could provoke attacks from Israel’s enemies, especially Iran, potentially drawing in U.S. forces. While Tehran’s influence has waned—with its ally Hezbollah weakened and friendly regional governments falling—Iran still possesses the capacity to target Israel with drones and missiles.
The U.S. has already intervened multiple times this year to directly defend Israel from such attacks. This puts U.S. troops at risk, increasing the likelihood of all-out war between the U.S. and Iran.
Escalation risks are particularly high now that U.S. personnel have been deployed to operate the THAAD missile defense system provided to Tel Aviv. These soldiers—along with U.S. forces stationed nearby in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan—are vulnerable to retaliatory strikes by Tehran. Should an Iranian attack injure or kill U.S. personnel, the pressure on Washington to respond militarily would be immense, even though a war with Iran would harm U.S. interests.
West Bank annexation could also weaken Israeli alliances with Egypt and Jordan and alienate partners who have aided U.S. missile defense efforts, leaving Washington to bear the burden alone.
The implications for Jordan are especially concerning. Jordan might refuse future participation in missile defense, and West Bank annexation could threaten the stability of the Jordanian regime. Significant tensions already exist between non-Palestinian Jordanians and the large Palestinian refugee population, comprising 20% of the country. An annexation crisis could trigger a massive refugee influx into Jordan, potentially destabilizing the Hashemite kingdom permanently. The U.S. needs to avoid another failed state in the Middle East, particularly with ongoing unrest in Syria.
Furthermore, annexation would likely dismantle the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states in 2020, a key foreign policy achievement for Trump.
Recent personnel decisions by Netanyahu suggest a willingness to interpret Trump’s signals as approval for annexation. Following Trump’s election, Netanyahu appointed Yechiel Leitner, a hard-right settlements advocate favoring Israeli control over the West Bank, as Israel’s ambassador to the U.S.
Encouraging Israeli annexation of the West Bank would be a grave error, and Trump should unequivocally oppose it. This would differ significantly from Trump’s response to Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights, which faced minimal pushback. It is also far more perilous than if Israel were to attempt to permanently control its recent capture of Syrian territory in the Golan Heights and Quneitra province.
An Israeli takeover of the West Bank would drastically alter the status quo, triggering chaos and further entangling the U.S. in the Middle East against its strategic interests.
