US Vice President JD Vance has ruled out Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank, calling a Knesset vote for annexing the occupied territory “a stupid political stunt”.
“If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it. The (occupied) West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel,” Vance told reporters on Thursday in Tel Aviv.
“The policy of the Trump administration is that the (occupied) West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy,” he added.
Vance said that he was told that the Knesset voting was “a symbolic vote”.
“If people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that. But we certainly weren't happy about it,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Knesset approved in a preliminary reading two bills to annex the occupied West Bank and the Ma’ale Adumim illegal settlement bloc.
Israel has been mulling for years to annex Palestine’s West Bank. It has continued to mushroom settlements, deemed illegal under international law.
The United Nations' highest court in 2024 said that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and its settlements there are illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the annexation move continues to draw flak from several other countries as well.
Pakistan
Pakistan called it a violation of international law.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said these actions constitute a flagrant breach of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
"Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region," the ministry said in a statement.
Spain
Spain said it “goes against international law”, including a July 19, 2024, advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which found Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory to be illegal.
“The initiative in the Knesset is contrary to the spirit of the US peace plan, which has opened an opportunity to achieve lasting peace in the region, and to principles set out in the New York Declaration for the implementation of the two-state solution,” said Spain’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.
GCC
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi reaffirmed that such steps by Israel represent “a flagrant violation of international legitimacy resolutions and undermine the international community's efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.”
“Such settlement practices are a blatant encroachment on the historical rights of the Palestinian people,” he added.
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Source: TRT