Washington has flashed a clear red light at Israel, with President Donald Trump announcing he is halting any plan to annex the West Bank. His definitive statement, “I will not allow it,” serves as an unambiguous stop signal, preventing the Israeli government from proceeding with a move that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
This red light was activated just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving in New York, forcing his government’s ambitions to a screeching halt. Netanyahu must now explain to his far-right coalition partners why they cannot proceed, despite believing they had a green light from the Trump administration.
The signal change from green to red appears to have been prompted by a flurry of diplomatic warnings about the dangers ahead. European allies, after recognizing Palestine, feared the US would accelerate toward a crisis. Their lobbying, along with urgent appeals from Arab nations, convinced the White House to apply the brakes.
The intersection where this red light has been placed is critical. The path to annexing the West Bank, home to 700,000 Israeli settlers, is seen by most of the world as a collision course with international law and the prospects for a two-state solution.
This move to halt traffic on the annexation issue is also designed to clear the way for another diplomatic vehicle: the US-led peace plan for Gaza. With the West Bank issue now stopped, the administration hopes to have a clear road to push its 21-point proposal to end the nearly two-year-long war and its devastating consequences.