Israel's Finance Minister: Trump Supports West Bank Annexation

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s asserted “full backing” from the United States for West Bank settlement expansions, even as formal U.S. support for annexation remains unconfirmed.

Smotrich said Israel had “full coordination and full backing” from the U.S. administration for construction, regulation, and security in the West Bank, including engagement with U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee.

He also acknowledged that Washington has not endorsed full annexation, adding, “we will also succeed in that.”

Since 2022, more than 51,000 housing units have been approved for deposit or final authorization, according to his office.

Israel’s approximately 500,000 settlers are concentrated largely in Area C, which remains under full Israeli control under the 1990s Oslo Accords framework.

Smotrich emphasized alignment within Israel’s leadership, stating, “Do you think I could do anything without Netanyahu?” and describing settlement expansion as official government policy.

The re-establishment of the Sa-Nur settlement more than 20 years after its evacuation illustrates renewed efforts to consolidate presence, with over a dozen families already relocated.

Channel 14 reporter Eliya Aviv said a new enforcement unit created under Smotrich operates “without delays, without petitions - they arrive and uproot everything,” accelerating demolitions and land control measures.

Smotrich described Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as part of an Iranian “axis of evil,” stating Israel is “fighting for our right to live.” He linked settlement expansion to security doctrine, arguing that “the 1967 lines are not defensible.”

In earlier remarks on March 23, he said, “We will continue to strike the regime,” and called for extending borders to the Litani River in Lebanon, adding, “The Litani River should be the border between us and Lebanon.” He had also outlined a broader vision of territorial expansion into Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria previously.

Smotrich said international condemnation has decreased, noting that even large-scale construction now draws less reaction than smaller projects did in the past.

He attributed criticism from some European countries to political considerations, claiming they “stand on the wrong side of history.”

At the same time, proposals for annexation continue to face global opposition, while tensions remain linked to wider regional conflict dynamics involving Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.