- i24NEWS
- International
- US / Canada
- Trump refuses to address West Bank annexation, stresses Israel's small size
Trump refuses to address West Bank annexation, stresses Israel's small size
'It’s a pretty small piece of land,' Trump said, while saying he wouldn't talk about annexation – 'It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do when you think about it – a lot of good, smart brain power'


US President Donald Trump addressed the possibility of an Israeli annexation of the West Bank, saying "I'm not going to talk about that" although he stressed the country's small size compared to its neighbors with reporters on Monday.
"It certainly is a small, it’s a small country in terms of land," he said, before picking up a pen and showing the journalists. "See this pen?This wonderful pen on my desk is the Middle East, and the top of the pen, that’s Israel."
"That’s not good, right? You know, it’s a pretty big difference," Trump continued. "I use that as an analogy — it’s pretty accurate, actually. It’s a pretty small piece of land. It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do when you think about it – a lot of good, smart brain power, but it is a very small piece of land, no question about it."
Regarding the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Trump said he had "no guarantees that the peace is going to hold,"
Despite this, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff voiced optimism: "It’s holding so far, so we’re certainly hopeful."
Trump's aim is to "get the hostages out and save lives," Witkoff said.
This comes after Trump's overhaul of longstanding US policy, including in its foreign relations. With regard to Israel, according to Politico, Trump is expected to sign an executive order to withdraw the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council and ban any future funding of UNRWA. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that the United States is preparing a new billion-dollar arms deal with Israel.