The Biden administration warned Israel against trying to annex parts of the West Bank, underscoring how Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance could complicate Israel’s relations with the US if they try to fulfil their most controversial campaign promises.
Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have advocated annexing parts of the West Bank, asserting a stronger Jewish presence at Jerusalem’s contested holy sites and dramatically expanding Israeli settlements across the West Bank. Many of these goals are at odds with longstanding US policy in the Middle East, which supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“Our position is quite clear. We do not support annexation and we will fight any attempt to do so,” said Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel, in an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan. Mr Nides was responding to a question about a MP in Mr Netanyahu’s bloc who said he hoped the new government would be more active in moving to annex portions of the West Bank.
Mr Nides said he plans to work with the Netanyahu administration, but “we have to stand up for the things we believe in. We are a very strong ally, but there will be times we articulate our differences.”
Read the article by Shayndi Raice in The Australian (from The Wall Street Journal).