Trump was not fiddling whilst Israel burned
President Trump’s devastating attack on Iran’s Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites could see Trump shortly reveal his long-awaited solution on the future of Judea and Samaria (West Bank).
At a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu held at the White House on 4 February Trump was asked:
“Mr. President, do you support Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria areas, which many believe is the biblical homeland of the Jewish people?”
Trump replied:
“Well, we’re discussing that with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well, and people do like the idea, but we haven’t taken a position on it yet. But we will be — we’ll be making an announcement probably on that very specific topic over the next four weeks.”
Almost four months later – Trump has not made that announcement – as Israel and America jointly now confront Iran to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear warheads to be fitted to its long range ballistic missiles that threatened to destroy not only Israel and America – but also a craven and cowering world looking on and giving no support.
No explanation has been given by Trump for delaying his decision on Judea and Samaria (West Bank) – indeed it could be that Trump and Netanyahu are secretly negotiating a solution.
Israel has chosen to take two important steps to pre-empt the creation of a Palestinian Arab state between Israel and Jordan:
- Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan on 25 March to separate 13 Jewish neighbourhoods in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) from their existing mother-settlements – turning each of them into 13 independent settlements.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared:
“We continue to lead a revolution of normalization and regulation in the settlements. Instead of hiding and apologizing – we raise the flag, build and settle. This is another important step on the path to actual sovereignty in Judea and Samaria”
- Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz stated on 1 April:
“We will not abandon the security of settlers or allow [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to use illegal construction as a tool to create a strategic threat against the settlements. The West Bank is the heart of Israel, and we will protect it with every means necessary”
Trump’s silence following both these decisions could indicate his acceptance of Israel’s position – ruling out any thought of creating a new state between Israel and Jordan anywhere in Gaza and Judea and Samaria (West Bank) – especially after Trump’s earlier decision on 4 February to treat Gaza as a separate territorial entity.
On the other hand Trump’s decision – when announced – could prevent Israel claiming sovereignty in all of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) – requiring Israel and Jordan as the two successor States to the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine to negotiate on allocating sovereignty between their two respective States.
Trump could have announced his decision during his meeting with Netanyahu on 6 April or in Saudi Arabia during Trump’s visit in May – but Trump chose not to.
It now seems increasingly unlikely that Trump will call for sovereignty of Judea and Samaria to be divided between Israel and Jordan – having witnessed Israel being bombarded by Iran firing hundreds of long range ballistic missiles indiscriminately into Israeli population centres during the past 10 days.
Israel’s vulnerability has been exposed like never before following Gaza’s invasion of Israel on 7 October 2023 and Iran’s missile attacks.
Trump’s delay for up to two weeks on whether to join Israel in confronting Iran was understandable due to Trump’s reluctance to embroil America in any foreign conflict. Having taken that decision – the future of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) could follow shortly.
Author’s note: The cartoon was drawn in 2013 by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – who passed away on 14 April 2025 and whose cartoons graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades.
David Singer is a Sydney lawyer and a foundation member of the International Analysts Network
