President Donald Trump said Israel would lose its crucial backing from the United States if it annexes the occupied West Bank, in a Time magazine interview published on Thursday.
Trump’s comments, which Time said were made by telephone on October 15, were published as both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned against any annexation.
“It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And you can’t do that now. We’ve had great Arab support,” Trump said when asked what the consequences would be for Israel if it did so.
“Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan strongly condemned on Thursday Israel’s attempt to extend its sovereignty over parts of the Occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in the legislature of the occupying power.
“These actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement today.
Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan called upon the international community to take urgent and decisive action to halt these illegal steps and to hold the Israeli occupying forces accountable for their continued violations of international law.
“Pakistan reiterates its commitment to working with regional and international partners to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, and to ensure peace, justice, and dignity for the Palestinians.