US restates opposition to West Bank annexation at UN

US Reaffirms Opposition to Israeli West Bank Annexation at UN Session

A U.S. diplomat told the United Nations on Friday that Washington opposes Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank, restating a position the Trump administration has maintained since taking office amid growing alarm over settlement expansion and escalating violence against Palestinians.

Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the U.S. representative for U.N. Management and Reform, delivered the message during an Arria-formula session convened by the Security Council’s five European members — Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, and the United Kingdom — to hear testimony on conditions facing Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.dailysabah

“As President Trump has made clear, the United States opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank,” Bartos said. “Stability in the West Bank is vital for Israel’s security and aligns with our goal of achieving peace in the region.”dailysabah

Settler Violence and Settlement Expansion

The session drew sharp warnings from Pakistan and Turkey over the deteriorating situation on the ground. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that in nearly four years, Israel has approved 102 new settlements, nearly doubling the 127 that previously existed. He cited U.N. data showing that 2025 recorded the highest number of settler-related attacks against Palestinians since systematic documentation began in 2006.arabnews

“All settler violence and settlement activities must cease, in full compliance with international law,” Ahmad said, adding that the only viable path to peace “lies in ending the illegal Israeli occupation of all Arab territories.”arabnews

The scale of displacement has been staggering. A U.N. report published in March covering the 12-month period through October 2025 documented more than 36,000 Palestinians displaced from the West Bank and 1,732 incidents of settler violence causing casualties or property destruction — a roughly 25 percent increase over the prior period. By early 2026, displacement figures had already surpassed all of 2025, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.un

Turkey’s Permanent Representative, Ahmet Yıldız, called on Israel to halt what he described as “illegal actions” in the occupied territory and urged the Security Council to admit Palestine as a full U.N. member. Palestine currently holds the status of non-member observer state, a position it has occupied since 2012, with full membership repeatedly blocked by the U.S. veto in the Security Council.wikipedia

A Widening Gap Between Words and Actions

The Arria-formula meeting, held on May 8, offered an informal forum for Council members and invited states to assess the West Bank crisis outside the constraints of a formal session. Briefers included Palestinian, Israeli, and international civil society representatives.securitycouncilreport

While Washington’s anti-annexation stance has been consistent — Vice President JD Vance called a 2025 Knesset vote on annexation “an insult” — critics have pointed to a widening gap between rhetoric and reality. Israel recently expanded its administrative authority over the occupied territory, including new land registration and confiscation mechanisms that Pakistan’s envoy said “must be reversed immediately.” And the U.S. statement on Friday did not directly address those specific measures, instead emphasizing ongoing dialogue with partners.dailysabah