Vice President Vance Criticizes Israeli Parliament's West Bank Annexation Vote

U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized the Israeli parliament's recent preliminary vote supporting the annexation of the occupied West Bank, describing it as "a very stupid political stunt."

Speaking at Ben Gurion Airport before departing Israel, Vance stated, "I personally take some insult to it. The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy. And if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that, but we certainly weren't happy about it."

The preliminary vote, which narrowly passed 25 to 24, occurred during Vance's visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also criticized the vote, calling it "a deliberate political provocation by the opposition to sow discord during Vice President JD Vance's visit to Israel."

Netanyahu's office noted that without his party's support in the Knesset, "these bills are unlikely to go anywhere."

Vance expressed hope that an international security force would take over the task of disarming Hamas, a key step in the peace process. He also emphasized the importance of quickly rebuilding areas in Gaza where Hamas is no longer operating, aiming to provide residents with jobs, security, and comfort.

The Vice President's remarks underscore the U.S. administration's stance against West Bank annexation and its commitment to the ongoing peace process in the region.