Asked whether efforts in the Israeli Knesset to annex the occupied West Bank could harm his peace plan for Gaza, Trump said, "Don't worry about the West Bank. Israel won't do anything in the West Bank, okay? Don't worry."
Trump added, "They won't do anything in the West Bank. Israel is doing well, and they won't do anything in the West Bank."
In an interview with Time magazine earlier Thursday, Trump said of the possibility of Israel annexing the occupied West Bank: "It won't happen, it won't happen, it won't happen, because I promised the Arab countries."
He added, "We have had great Arab support. It will not happen (Israel's annexation of the West Bank) because I promised the Arab countries it will not happen. Israel will lose the support of the United States completely if it happens."
On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) approved a preliminary reading of a bill to annex the West Bank, a move that drew widespread regional and international condemnation and criticism.
This annexation would end the possibility of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli) stipulated in United Nations resolutions.
The State of Palestine is recognized by at least 160 of the 193 member states of the United Nations.
