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President Donald Trump, fed up with Israel’s reckless flirtation with West Bank annexation, has issued a stark warning: cross that line, and America’s support vanishes.
The President, who’s staked his legacy on Middle East peace, isn’t mincing words after a provocative Knesset vote and a personal slight to his administration.
"Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened," Trump told Time Magazine in a cover story released Thursday, fresh off his historic Gaza peace deal. "It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries."
The escalation follows a 25-24 symbolic vote by Israel’s Knesset favoring West Bank annexation, a move seen as a deliberate jab at both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who oppose the plan.
The vote coincided with Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel amid renewed Gaza bombing, adding fuel to the fire.
Speaking at Tel Aviv’s airport before departing, Vance didn’t hold back, stating, "I personally take some insult to it. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel."
He called the vote a "very stupid political stunt."
The annexation push, driven by right-wing factions aiming to block Palestinian statehood, threatens to unravel Trump’s fragile 20-point Gaza peace plan, brokered with Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan.
Announced in late September, the deal set an October 5 deadline for Hamas to accept a phased ceasefire, hostage release, demilitarization, and reconstruction plan.
Trump envisions a revitalized Gaza rivaling Dubai or Monaco, but the Knesset’s antics risk derailing it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before heading to Israel, warned, "President Trump has already made it clear that we do not support such moves right now. We are concerned about anything that could undermine what we are working on."
While the ceasefire holds — hostages have been exchanged, aid is flowing —tensions persist.
Unresolved issues, like the return of deceased hostages’ remains and Israel’s annexation threats, strain the deal.
The United Arab Emirates, a key ally in the peace process, has called annexation a "red line."
Netanyahu, who can delay the proposal, faces pressure from hardliners upset over security concessions in the Gaza agreement.
Yet annexation is unlikely to pass the Knesset’s multiple voting rounds.
Trump, unapologetic about his central role, told Time, "The most important thing is they have to respect the President of the United States. The Middle East has to understand that. It’s almost the President more than the country."
Trump’s fed up, and who can blame him? After brokering a deal to end the Israel-Hamas war, he’s facing defiance from Israeli hardliners and a slap in the face to his VP.
Trump’s vision for a peaceful, prosperous Middle East is on the line, and he’s not about to let rogue factions in Jerusalem sabotage it.
If Netanyahu can’t rein in his own parliament, he might find himself standing alone.
Trump’s message is clear: respect the deal, or lose America’s backing.
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