Donald Trump has rocked the Middle East with a bombshell warning: if Benjamin Netanyahu’s government pushes to annex the West Bank, the US will pull all support. The stunned Israeli leadership finds itself in Washington’s firing line as Trump stakes his claim on a lasting peace legacy.

US Vice President Calls Israeli Vote a “Stupid Political Stunt”

The crisis blew up after Israel’s parliament narrowly backed a symbolic motion to annex parts of the West Bank. The timing was no accident – it happened while Vice President JD Vance was in Tel Aviv during renewed Gaza violence. Furious, Vance slammed the move as a “very stupid political stunt” and took it as a direct insult to the Trump administration.

“Trump administration policy opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank,” the Vice President stated bluntly. “This is a clear red line.”

His remarks reveal a sharp rift between Washington and Jerusalem just as fragile ceasefire hopes hang in the balance.

Trump’s Peace Plan Hangs in the Balance

Trump promised Arab nations annexation wouldn’t happen and reaffirmed: lose the West Bank, lose US support. The stakes are huge – his 20-point peace deal for Gaza, pitched as a transformative masterpiece to turn the ravaged strip into a tourist hotspot rivaling Dubai and Monaco, could all fall apart.

Early signs of success with ceasefires and hostage exchanges have been encouraging, but tensions over the annexation and failure by Israel to return hostage remains threaten the fragile deal’s future. Crucial regional allies like the UAE have warned annexation is a red line that could destabilise the entire Middle East diplomatic web.

Netanyahu Faces Impossible Balancing Act

With right-wing Israeli politicians furious over what they see as too many concessions, Netanyahu risks losing control of his coalition if he backs down on annexation. But defying Trump could doom the vital US-Israel alliance and unravel the peace process painstakingly built.

Trump made it clear in a recent Time Magazine interview that respect for the US President is central to Middle East diplomacy. This warning marks a sharp change from his previous strongly pro-Israel stance, underlining his determination to make this peace deal his foreign policy crown jewel.

Washington’s patience is wearing thin, and the coming weeks will reveal if Trump’s threat can force Israel’s hand or if domestic politics will plunge the region into renewed chaos.