Netanyahu says he intends to annex West Bank settlements if re-elected

Former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed he intends to push for annexation of West Bank settlements if he is re-elected next week.

“I think that if I’m re-elected, I will get it. I have plans on how to get it,” Netanyahu told USA TODAY.

“Would I do it unilaterally? No, I said that right from the start. I would not, because I would like to do it with the understanding and support of the United States. We were on the verge of getting it,” he added.

In his newly published memoirs “Bibi, My Story”, Netanyahu describes how former U.S. President Donald Trump had promised him in writing that he had Washington’s support to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank, amounting to some 30% of the territory.

According to Netanyahu, the Trump administration backtracked on this promise the same night the “peace plan” was revealed in Washington, leaving him “surprised.”

“There was a reversal. It wasn’t because we had surprised him in any way. In fact, I think it surprised me,” Netanyahu told USA TODAY.

Netanyahu also acknowledged that annexation “probably won’t happen” under Biden who’s opposed to such a move.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, something a majority of Israeli politicians disregard, calling the disputed territory part of the Jewish homeland.