Rubio in Israel: Will Trump back Netanyahu if Israel annexes parts of the West Bank?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Rubio in Israel: Will Trump back Netanyahu if Israel annexes parts of the West Bank?")
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Photograph: (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Israel as Netanyahu weighs West Bank annexation, following UN support for Palestinian statehood. The UAE warns annexation could jeopardise peace accords and Trump’s diplomatic legacy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel this week for talks that could shape the country’s response to a wave of expected recognitions of a Palestinian state. Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to know whether President Donald Trump would support the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.
What triggered the annexation debate?
On Friday, the UN General Assembly backed the “New York Declaration”, a proposal led by France and Saudi Arabia calling for an irreversible path towards Palestinian statehood. The motion was supported by 142 countries, opposed by 10 (including the US and Israel), with 12 abstentions. France, the UK, Canada and others are expected to formally recognise Palestine later this month.
How is the UAE responding?
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The United Arab Emirates has privately warned both Washington and Jerusalem that any annexation would damage its peace treaty with Israel and could undermine the wider Abraham Accords. Officials in the White House fear such a move would unravel Trump’s diplomatic legacy in the Middle East.
What is Netanyahu seeking?
Israeli officials say Netanyahu is looking for clarity from Rubio on how much flexibility the US is willing to give Israel in its response to the international recognition of Palestine. The possibility of annexing parts of the West Bank remains on the table, but no decision has yet been made.
