Senators Urge Trump to Reject West Bank Annexation Plan

By Staff, Agencies

Forty-four of the 45 Democrats in the US Senate have sent a letter to US President Donald Trump urging him to reaffirm his opposition to "Israel's" annexation of the occupied West Bank, Axios reported on Tuesday.

John Fetterman of Pennsylvania - a vocal Zionist who has adopted the far-right positions of the current "Israeli" occupation entity - was the only Democrat not to sign on.

"Since your plan for Gaza does not address the West Bank, it is imperative that your Administration reinforce your comments and emphasize its opposition to annexation," the letter said.

"Steps by 'Israel' to annex territory or expand settlements that prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state... have elicited deep concern and opposition from Arab partners and place at risk your past achievements under the Abraham Accords and the possibility of expanding them further," the senators warned.

"In this moment, it is essential that the United States reject measures that undermine the viability of a negotiated resolution to the 'Israeli'-Palestinian conflict".

The letter was spearheaded by California Senator Adam Schiff, who has come under fire over the last two years from constituents for his expressions of unconditional support for "Israel", while progressives in his state present more nuanced positions.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll released on Wednesday shows that 80% of Democratic voters now support the recognition of a Palestinian state, and 41% of Republican voters believe the same.

Last month, Trump pledged to Muslim leaders in New York to block Netanyahu’s West Bank annexation—a condition linked to his now-cut 21st point in the Gaza plan.

The problem is that much of the occupied West Bank is already de facto annexed - and US officials have either openly condoned it, such as US ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee, or simply ignored it, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio is expected to visit "Israel" soon and take part in an event "organized by a settler group in a politically sensitive archaeological site" under the Palestinian village of Silwan in occupied East al-Quds, very near al-Aqsa Mosque, Axios reported, citing "Israeli" officials.

Vice President JD Vance spent his second day in "Israel" on Wednesday, meeting with President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu, in a trip that was billed as a confidence-building measure for the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

But as those meetings played out, the Knesset advanced a bill that would extend "Israeli" law to the whole of the occupied West Bank, and ultimately lead to the annexation of the land.

The bill will require three more rounds of votes before becoming law, but it passed with 25 MPs in support and 24 against.

Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party also proposed a bill to extend "Israeli" sovereignty over the Maale Adumim settlement near al-Quds, which also passed.

A senior Emirati official warned Wednesday that "Israel’s" annexation would threaten Trump’s 2020 Abraham Accords, calling it a “red line” for the United Arab Emirates.