What is Meant by “Annexation of the West Bank”

This term refers to the extension of Israeli sovereign law and jurisdiction over parts or all of the West Bank (the territories captured in 1967). Several Israeli politicians have made proposals to apply Israeli law over these settlements, the Jordan Valley, and large portions of “Area C” of the West Bank.

What is the prophetic parallel between this recent action by Israel and the events described by the Bible that concern the Last of the Last Days?

How This Annexation Affects The Trump Peace Plan 

The 2020 Trump Peace Plan (“Peace to Prosperity”): is a detailed proposal signed by many nations to Improve the lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People. This Peace Plan envisioned a Palestinian body with conditional sovereignty and recognized Israeli claims to parts of the West Bank.

This plan is specific in allowing Israel to annex or apply sovereignty over parts of the West Bank (but only in the context of Palestinian acceptance of the peace deal).

“The plan itself places no conditions on Israel with regard to proposals to ‘annex parts of the West Bank’. … The plan recognises an Israeli right to the entire Jordan Valley.”

Under efforts in renewed diplomacy (2025), U.S. officials in the second Trump administration, have signalled that annexation of the West Bank could jeopardize broader peace/normalization efforts.

The UAE has warned Israel that West Bank annexation crosses a “red line” that could undo the Abraham Accords. President Trump has publicly stated that Israel “won’t” pursue annexation of the West Bank and warned of consequences. In observation of these events, some have noted that the Trump-plan’s omission of strict prohibition of West Bank annexation leaves the path open to unilateral Israeli action, which in turn complicates the plan’s viability.

What Are the Key implications of Annexation From a Secular/Diplomatic View?

This action of annexation would significantly undermine a two-state solution, converting large areas of Palestinian-claimed land into Israeli sovereignty would make a contiguous, viable Palestinian state far harder. This current annexation risks destabilizing Israel’s relations with Arab normalization partners, many of whom condition normalization on respect for Palestinian aspirations.

Current annexation might trigger negative diplomatic, economic, and legal consequences for Israel, such as the loss of international support for other Arab nations that will undermine the legal and political foundation for Israel’s occupation, and raise conflict with Palestinians.

In a practical sense, this annexation or an equivalent, settlement expansion and civilian‐law extensions, may change the character of the territory from “occupied with provisional status” to  an integrated and disputed territory, changing future negotiations drastically.

The Prophetic Implications From a Biblical Point of View

With our focus on the biblical prophetic meaning of this annexation of the West Bank, there are several considerations.

1. The land promise to Israel by God: From an Expositional and Dispensational observation,  the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12; 15; 17) includes the territory of modern Israel including Judea and Samaria.
2. The Palestinian two-state solution issue: From the biblical view of support for the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel as a necessary step for the return of Jesus, the Bible does not  support a fully sovereign Palestinian state dividing the land God gave to Israel, and that pressure to divide the land is against Scripture.
3. The Peace Plan and Rebuilding the Third Temple: The prophetic texts of the Bible such as Daniel 9:27 (One seven year period, “a Week”) and the Zechariah 14 prophecy (the nations gathered against Jerusalem) is fundamental to the future prophetic events as they relate to Israel, Jerusalem, and the “surrounding nations” of the Daniel 9:27 prophecy.
4. God’s irrevocable covenant with Israel: Romans 11:28-29 and Jeremiah 31:35-37 are cited to demonstrate the enduring national role of Israel and the land promises.

How This Annexation Affects The Prophetic Results

The annexation of the West Bank confirms Israel’s sovereignty over the land God that gave the Jews. The application of Israeli law to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) might be seen by prophetic exposition as a partial fulfillment of the land-promise prophecy. In a CBN article, there is a statement by Israeli settlers saying “we have no right to relinquish one centimeter of the Land of Israel.”

Acceleration of the two-state vs one-state solution now: If annexation reduces the possibility of an existing Palestinian state, this might be seen as making possible the “false peace” instituted by the Prince of the Daniel 9:27 Peace Plan. In other words, pressure being exerted to divide the land of Israel, or their refusal to divide the land, might be a prophetic marker that signals the final events described by the Bible in the Book of Revelation.

Getting ready to build the Third Temple at Jerusalem: If Israel asserts full control over Jerusalem plus Judea and Samaria, this may permit the building of the third Temple, as a fulfilment of God’s final covenant, and the nations gathering against Jerusalem (Zechariah 14). This annexation may be a trigger-point for these events.

God’s Judgement on nations dividing the land: If pressure is continued to force Israel to divide the land that God said should never be divided again, this could fulfill the prophecies of Joel 3 and Zechariah 12-14. From this prophetic perspective, annexation might bring these prophetic texts into fulfillment as God describes in the Ezekiel 38 Battle:

Joel 3:1-3  “At the time of those events,” says the LORD, “when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem,  I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land. They threw dice to decide which of my people would be their slaves. They traded boys to obtain prostitutes and sold girls for enough wine to get drunk.

Zechariah 12:1-3 “This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the LORD: “This message is from the LORD, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.”

Zechariah 14:1-5 “Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.”

Zechariah 14:12 “And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.”

This move by Israel toward sovereignty in the West Bank signals that the land question (one of the pivotal issues of Old Testament prophecy) is advancing rapidly. If annexation becomes formal (or  irreversible), the possibility of a truly sovereign Palestinian state as envisioned in many peace plans is diminished.

This pushes the region toward one of two outcomes: either a forced resolution by external treaty (a “covenant with many” in Daniel 9:27) or a collapse of the two‐state template (which many prophetic teachers have seen as necessary for the final end‐time scenario).

The existence of the Trump Peace Plan that includes Israeli sovereignty plus Palestinian limited self-governance may function as the “temporary peace” part of the final events biblical prophecies.

Daniel 9:27 Then he (the Prince) shall confirm a covenant with many for one week (7 years); But in the middle of the week (3.5 years) he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering (a false peace). And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

These events might trigger the judgment described in Zechariah 12-14, Ezekiel 38-39)

These recent developments point us towards the imminence of the final prophetic phase: The land of Israel is being digitised (so to speak), boundaries are being settled, sovereignty questions are being addressed. This may be the final scenario for the Messiah’s return.

The 2020 Trump Peace Plan, the Abraham Accords, assumes that Israel will be recognized as sovereign over certain West Bank areas in the context of Palestinian acceptance and peace negotiations. If Israel unilaterally annexes without Palestinian agreement, the foundational assumption of mutual negotiated settlement is broken. This is why President Trump and Vice President Vance are so upset over Israel’s Annexation of the West Bank.

Arab states that were normalization partners under the Abraham Accords view unilateral annexation as jeopardizing their ties. Since the Trump Plan counts on those normalization pathways, annexation could undermine or derail the plan.

The Trump Peace Plan’s economic-development component assumed progress toward a Palestinian state, with international investment; if annexation leaves Palestinians with severely diminished territory and rights, the economic momentum may collapse.

The Trump administration in 2025 seems to have moved toward opposing annexation for its normalization/diplomacy value: President Trump said Israel “will not do anything with the West Bank” in response to legislative moves.

This means that a revised version of the peace plan may require Israel to suspend or reverse annexation efforts as a precondition for broader regional agreement

The Trump Peace Plan may be altered: Israeli claims may be limited, or Palestinian entity boundaries may be more generous to satisfy Arab partners. Because the plan currently does not forbid West Bank annexation, the ambiguity remains. Some who watch these events view this as a loophole that Israel can exploit, which in turn undermines the plan’s credibility among Palestinians and Arab states.

If annexation is blocked by U.S./Arab pressure, the Trump Peace Plan becomes more likely to proceed under the negotiated model—albeit weakened

If annexation continues, the peace plan may become untenable: Palestinian leadership may reject it outright, Arab normalization partners may withdraw support, and the international community may isolate Israel—thus the plan collapses or is drastically altered (e.g., a one-state outcome or de facto Israeli control).

From a prophetic view: The collapse or redefinition of the peace plan could become the “covenant with many” moment (Dan 9:27) or the “breaking” of the peace that triggers end-time war dynamics. In other words, annexation either advances the plan’s execution or accelerates its termination.

The Prophetic View

Land matters: The West Bank (Judea & Samaria) remains central in biblical land-promise prophecy and therefore any major shift (sovereignty changes, annexation) draws prophetic attention.

The Peace Plan: The Trump Peace Plan remains crucial in biblical prophecy because a partial annexation option affects Israeli sovereignty to Palestinian conditional statehood. Annexation affects that architecture.

The Arab View: Arab acceptance (via the Abraham Accords and beyond) is a major variable. Annexation threatens that dimension, which is built into the peace-plan equation and also into many prophetic scenarios of regional alignment.

Prophetic View: This recent annexation might signal that the land issue is nearing resolution (in the sense of “all things ready” for the final return of the Messiah). These events might also as accelerate the breakdown of the Trump Peace Plan, triggering prophetic events (war, Temple, judgment).

See My New Book That Documents These Events: The Trump Peace Plan, and the Return of Jesus:

“The Last American President: Prophecy, Peace, and the Return of the King”

Kindle and Paperback

Author’s Note: “This book is not a political statement, nor an endorsement or condemnation of any individual or nation. It is a prophetic and theological examination of the Scriptures, written from my 51 years of scholarly study of Bible prophecy and my conviction that God has revealed the course of history in His Word.

I reference President Donald J. Trump and the recent peace initiatives involving Israel and many nations only as they relate to the prophecy recorded by Daniel in chapter 9, verse 27.

My purpose is to help readers recognize the unfolding of biblical prophecies in our time, and to consider what these things may signify concerning the soon return of Jesus Christ.

This work invites reflection, not reaction; discernment, not division. My prayer is that you will read these pages with an open heart and a sincere desire to understand the times in which we live.

Robert Clifton Robinson

Sources and Citations:

Fact: The policy of Donald Trump is that Israel will not annex the West Bank.

“The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel. The policy of President Trump is that the West Bank will not be annexed. This will always be our policy.” (JD Vance speaking) — Al Jazeera.

“U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed an effort by some Israeli lawmakers to annex the West Bank, saying Israel is ‘not going to do anything with the West Bank.’” — Reuters.

“Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank” — Associated Press article.

Fact: A preliminary bill to apply Israeli law to the West Bank (i.e., de facto annexation) passed a first vote in the Knesset, which triggered international backlash.

• Reuters: “A bill applying Israeli law to the West Bank … won preliminary approval by Israeli lawmakers.”
• Al Jazeera: “A bill applying Israeli law to the West Bank … won preliminary approval … The West Bank is not going to be annexed…”
• The Guardian: “While the eyes of the world are on Gaza, Israeli settlers in the West Bank still behave with impunity …” (context of settlement/annexation discussion)

Fact: Annexation of the West Bank is viewed by Arab states and others as a “red line” that could derail normalisation & peace-deal efforts (e.g., the broader peace plan).

• The AP article states: “Arab states like the UAE have warned that any Israeli move to annex would be a ‘red line.’”
• Politico: “The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.” — in the context of peace/cease-fire efforts.

“Vance criticises Israeli parliament vote on West Bank annexation.” Al Jazeera, October 23 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/23/vance-criticises-israeli-parliament-vote-on-west-bank-annexation.

“Trump says he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.” Associated Press, September 25 2025. https://apnews.com/article/284f2db5b5e549cfecb6b24b26d98460.

“Trump dismisses bid by some Israeli lawmakers to annex West Bank.” Reuters, October 23 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/secretary-rubio-warns-west-bank-annexation-endangers-trumps-gaza-plan-2025-10-23/.

“’Stupid political stunt’: White House castigates Israeli vote on the West Bank.” Politico, October 23 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/23/white-house-israel-west-bank-00619954. 

Annexation of the West Bank and Prophetic Implications

1. On 23 October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that Israel “will not do anything with the West Bank” (i.e., will not annex additional territory) and threatened consequences if Israel moved ahead unilaterally. 
2. The article reports that Israel’s government parliamentary vote on possible annexation of parts of the West Bank has been widely described by foreign legislators as an “insult” to Palestinians and a possible provocation of regional instability. 
3. Many commentators treat any formal or de-facto annexation (extension of Israeli law/jurisdiction over parts of the West Bank) as significantly altering the Israeli–Palestinian territorial status quo, raising questions about a two-state solution framework. [See also Crisis Group, Doha Institute, Washington Institute overviews].
4. The Trump Peace Plan (2020) explicitly allowed for Israeli sovereignty over portions of the West Bank if the Palestinians accept the deal, but did not strictly prohibit unilateral annexation outside of a negotiated settlement.
5. Arab normalisation states (e.g., under the Abraham Accords framework) reportedly view West Bank annexation as a “red line” that could derail broader diplomacy.
6. Annexation or looming annexation moves thereby become both a diplomatic and prophetic “marker” in the Middle East: land, sovereignty, boundaries, covenant all being involved.

Categories: Robert Clifton Robinson