Vice President J.D. Vance Critiques Israel’s West Bank Annexation Vote

Vice President J.D. Vance has expressed strong disapproval of the recent vote by Israel’s parliament to annex the West Bank, describing it as an “insult” and a “very stupid political stunt.”

These remarks came during his visit to Israel, where he reacted to the parliament’s “symbolic” vote, a move that President Donald Trump indicated would not be supported.

“It was a bit odd and confusing. When I inquired further, they said it was just a symbolic vote for annexation,” Vance shared, reflecting on the vote while at Tel Aviv International Airport.

“According to what I heard, it was essentially a political stunt with no real consequence—just symbolic. If that’s the case, then it’s, frankly, a very foolish move, and I feel a certain contempt for it,” he added.

He went on to assert, “Israel will not annex the West Bank. The Trump administration’s stance remains that the West Bank will not be annexed, and while they can take a symbolic vote, we are certainly not pleased with it.”

Notably, the bill endorses the Israeli government to “apply law and sovereignty to the settlements of Judea and Samaria” as part of Israel.

The aim of Vance’s trip was to promote support for a ceasefire. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to follow up his visit the next day.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the vote as “a deliberate political provocation” by opposition members during Vance’s stay in Israel.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, “The bills were introduced by opposition members, and the Likud party and religious coalitions did not back them, except for one unhappy member who had been recently removed from a committee chair position. Without Likud’s support, these discussions are unlikely to proceed.”

Netanyahu’s party did not endorse the bill. However, his ally and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir defended the vote, insisting that “Israel is an independent and sovereign state” and that Knesset members act according to their own judgments.

President Trump has been pressuring Israel regarding the West Bank annexation, emphasizing that pursuing this route could result in a loss of “all support” from the United States.

Last week, Trump stated, “That’s not going to happen. I promised the Arab countries that it won’t happen. We’ve garnered a lot of support from them, and it can’t happen now. If it does, Israel will lose all support from us.”

Vance’s assertive comments come amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to uphold a 20-point peace proposal while moving into a phase that involves disarming Hamas and further reducing Israeli military presence in Gaza.

Both the U.S. and Israeli governments are urging Hamas to disarm, although compliance remains uncertain.

A senior Hamas official, Mohamed Nazar, mentioned, “I cannot say yes or no regarding disarmament. It hinges on the specifics. What do we mean by disarmament? Who will receive the weapons?”

Nazar also pointed out that Hamas had offered a long-term ceasefire in negotiations to rebuild Gaza, noting, “Our goal is not to prepare for war.”

“The Palestinian people seek an independent state,” he added.

When asked about Nazar’s statement, Trump replied, “We’ve received promises from them, and I think they’ll uphold them.”