US President-elect Donald Trump made it clear in private conversations that annexation of areas in the West Bank is “off the table,” people familiar with the matter indicated Sunday.

The Jerusalem Post has learned that senior Republican officials have cautioned Israel against pursuing annexation as Trump prepares to take office on January 20.

“This would be a mistake,” one of the Republican officials was quoted as saying. “Israel is in a difficult international situation, and such a move will only do damage.” Trump and his Republican allies are prioritizing other Middle East objectives, including reviving the Abraham Accords, securing normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and maintaining pressure on Iran, the sources said. Trump believes that focusing on annexation could detract from these broader strategic goals, they said.

In recent weeks, calls for annexation have intensified. Several coalition members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have reignited the debate. “2025 will be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich said recently. The annexation issue gained momentum in 2020 when Trump unveiled his peace plan. It allocated 30% of the West Bank for annexation by Israel, while the remaining 70% was left as a basis for future peace negotiations with the Palestinians. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers were prepared to bring the matter to a vote in the government. Significant pressure from senior adviser Jared Kushner led Trump to pause the initiative.

Abraham Accords took precedence 

Ultimately, the historic Abraham Accords – normalization agreements between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain – took precedence, effectively shelving the annexation plan.

Speaking to Time magazine last week, Trump reiterated his commitment to a long-term peace.

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