Trump reportedly opposes Israeli annexation of Judea & Samaria over concerns for Saudi normalization talks

Many Israelis have welcomed the victory of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and some, including Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, believe it might potentially enable the Israeli government to implement the annexation of Judea and Samaria, internationally known as the West Bank, in 2025.

Trump’s decision to appoint former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel has further increased expectations of a potential annexation.

Huckabee, an Evangelical Christian, is a strong Israel supporter and backs the Jewish state’s historical right to Judea and Samaria.

However, the celebrations might be premature.

“Trump will not approve annexation,” an unnamed senior Republican senator with close ties to Trump stated.

According to the senator, Trump believes that such a drastic diplomatic move would be “a mistake for Israel” and undermine its standing in the international community.

While Trump has appointed several pro-Israel officials to join his team in January 2025, the president-elect is reportedly also highly focused on revitalizing the stalled normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have repeatedly linked any normalization with Israel to the implementation of a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state.

In September 2023, just weeks before the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) told Fox News that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel was getting closer.

“Every day we get closer,” MBS told Fox News anchor Bret Baier.

Following the Hamas invasion and terror attack in southern Israel, and Israel's war against Hamas in the Strip Gaza, the Saudis postponed discussions about normalizing ties with Israel.

However, in early 2024, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom, Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud stressed that the Saudi Kingdom is still interested in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.

“Absolutely there’s interest, there’s been interest since 1982 and before,” Al Saud stated during an interview with BBC. He quickly added that the Saudi government links any potential normalization with Jerusalem to the implementation of the two-state solution.

“We’ve been at this for a long time, and willing to accept Israel for a long time; it’s a reality that’s there that we have to live with. But we can’t live with Israel without a Palestinian state,” the Saudi ambassador added.

Smotrich, for his part, has declared 2025 the “year of sovereignty.” Last week, he called Trump's victory in the U.S. elections “an important opportunity for Israel.” He emphasized, “We were a step away from applying sovereignty, and now is the time to do it.”

Leaders of the Jewish settler movement, in particular, have celebrated the Trump victory.

Israel Ganz, head of the Yesha Council – an umbrella organization of Jewish municipalities in Judea and Samaria – said that only annexing those areas would provide “true peace.” 

“The entire region is waiting for policies that will bring about stability and true peace,” Ganz said. “The path to there goes through the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.” 

Beit El Council head Shai Alon also said the sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on settlers and settler organizations in Judea and Samaria should be lifted and called Trump’s victory “the golden age of settlement.”