Netanyahu Shelves Annexation of Judea and Samaria Amid UAE Warning, International Pressure

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put on hold a controversial plan to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, after receiving sharp warnings from both regional allies and Western nations. The issue was slated for a ministerial discussion on Thursday but has been replaced by a session focused on the mounting security challenges in the area.

The Jerusalem Post reported that defense officials will caution ministers that the West Bank “could erupt instantly” as momentum builds at the United Nations for several Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state later this month.

UAE Raises Red Line Over Abraham Accords

The decision follows a stern warning from the United Arab Emirates to both Israel and President Trump that annexing the West Bank would threaten the Abraham Accords, signed nearly five years ago as a cornerstone of Israel’s normalization with Arab states. Emirati special envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel that annexation would be a “red line” for Abu Dhabi, foreclosing peace efforts and “the idea of regional integration.”

Her message echoed a 2020 op-ed by UAE Ambassador Yousef Otaiba that helped derail Netanyahu’s earlier annexation drive in exchange for normalization. Nusseibeh stressed that Arab capitals remain open to normalization — including Saudi Arabia — but only if Israel abandons annexation and moves toward a credible framework for a Palestinian state.

Israeli Hardliners Push for Sovereignty

Despite the warnings, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and leaders from Judea and Samaria are urging Netanyahu to advance sovereignty over more than 80% of the biblical lands, leaving Palestinian areas as isolated enclaves. “Beyond the historical, biblical, and moral right of the Jewish people to their land, sovereignty has a paramount security role,” Smotrich argued, saying it would prevent an “Arab terror state” in Israel’s heartland.

His push comes as France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Belgium announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN, moves Jerusalem views as a “reward” for Hamas after the October 7 attacks.

Trump, U.S. Diplomacy, and Hostage Crisis

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told CBN News that President Trump has not directly weighed in but reiterated Trump’s philosophy: “You’re a sovereign nation. You make your own decisions.” However, Emirati officials have appealed directly to Trump, urging him to safeguard the Abraham Accords — a hallmark of his foreign policy legacy — from being “derailed by extremists.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s war against Hamas continues. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said combat is intensifying to achieve the twin goals of freeing hostages and dismantling Hamas. President Trump added pressure on Hamas in a Truth Social post: “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!”

Protests in Jerusalem demanding the release of hostages turned violent Wednesday, with demonstrators setting a car on fire near the Prime Minister’s Residence. Police reminded citizens that while demonstrations are legal, roadblocks, arson, and vandalism are not.

A Critical Crossroads

As the Abraham Accords mark their fifth anniversary, Israel faces a pivotal choice: expand sovereignty over biblical lands, risking ties with Arab partners and Western allies, or step back from annexation to preserve fragile regional integration. Emirati envoy Nusseibeh put it bluntly: “There is an outstretched hand, despite all of this misery, in the region to Israel. But annexation would withdraw that hand.”

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