President Donald Trump has privately assured Arab and Muslim leaders that he will not permit Israel to annex the West Bank, according to a report by Politico. During a late-night meeting on Tuesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Trump told eight Middle East leaders that Israel would not be allowed to claim land under the Palestinian Authority’s control.
Donald Trump Discussed Plan for Gaza Ceasefire and Postwar Security With Arab Leaders
Trump and his team also presented a document outlining their proposal to end the war in Gaza. The plan included terms for a permanent ceasefire, future governance of the territory, and postwar security arrangements.
Earlier in the day, Trump had called for an immediate end to the conflict and the release of all Israeli hostages in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.
“We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it right now,” Trump told reporters before the meeting. He added, “This is my most important meeting. This is the one that’s very important to me because we’re going to end something that should have probably never started.”
Arab Leaders Meet Donald Trump
The meeting included leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan. As he left, Trump waved to reporters but declined to share details of the discussion. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, responded with a thumbs-up when asked how the talks had gone.
Trump later noted that the gathering brought together “all of the big players except for Israel, but that’s going to be next,” referencing a planned meeting with the Israeli prime minister at the White House next week.
Pressure Over the Abraham Accords
The United Arab Emirates had previously warned the White House that any Israeli annexation of West Bank territory could jeopardize the Abraham Accords, Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement during his first term that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.
Trump has sought commitments from regional powers on the future governance of Gaza, while ruling out any role for Hamas. Hours before the UN meeting, he delivered a forceful speech criticizing Western efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing such recognition would “reward those behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.”
Turkish President Erdogan Hails “Very Fruitful” Talks
Arab leaders were reportedly frustrated by Trump’s continued support for Israel, believing they had influenced his position during a visit to the Gulf states in May. Their anger deepened after an Israeli airstrike earlier this month targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, the Qatari capital, prompting them to question the value of their defense partnerships with Washington.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who on Monday described Israel’s offensive in Gaza as a “genocide” during a Fox News interview, called the multilateral meeting with Trump “very fruitful.”
Erdogan said a joint declaration would be released and expressed satisfaction with the outcome, though he did not provide details. He is expected to meet Trump at the White House today.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
