TEHRAN – The recent vote in Israel’s parliament on a bill to annex parts of the West Bank has drawn attention around the world. At first glance, they appear to be major political conflicts. Far-right politicians like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who live in illegal settlements, strongly pushed the bill. Abi Maoz of the Nome Party declared that “the time has come to apply sovereignty,” citing the Biblical claim to Palestinian land.
The United States reacted immediately. Vice President J.D. Vance called the vote an “insult,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned it could threaten the fragile Gaza ceasefire. President Donald Trump has previously told Israel that it could lose U.S. support if it moves forward with annexation.
On the surface, Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump appear to be opposed to annexation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked the bill, calling it a “political provocation.”
However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Settlements continue to expand aggressively throughout the West Bank. In the sensitive E1 area (al-Quds) near Jerusalem, Israel recently approved thousands of new housing units, a project that threatens to bisect the West Bank and make the creation of a future Palestinian state virtually impossible. Settler violence is also on the rise. Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and West Bank settlers, and thousands more have been displaced.
This is a textbook “good cop, bad cop” scenario. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump are acting as good cops, giving the appearance of restraining annexation to appease international opinion and Arab states. Far-right politicians act as the bad cops, pushing for annexation and creating pressure on the government to exercise restraint. Meanwhile, Israel is strengthening its territory and expanding its settlements while maintaining the appearance of following international norms.
Trump’s goal is clear. His Gaza ceasefire plan, which began on October 10, has been repeatedly violated, but he wants to claim he has succeeded in stabilizing the region. He also seeks to advance the Abraham Accords by including more Arab countries. Annexation threatens both efforts by stirring up tensions and alienating potential partners. Prime Minister Netanyahu, meanwhile, needs to manage a far-right coalition. While the public suspension of the bill met the expectations of the United States and the international community, settlement expansion continues quietly.
The impact on Palestinians will be profound. Two-state solutions continue to decline. The territory is divided and Palestinian rights are increasingly ignored. While international media focuses on US opposition to annexation, Israel’s de facto annexation proceeds through settlement expansion and control of key areas.
The situation in Gaza has added yet another layer. President Trump and other U.S. officials are pushing ahead with a reconstruction and stabilization plan. Civilians displaced during wars face immense hardship. According to the United Nations, more than 90% of buildings in the Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed. More than 15,000 patients are still waiting for treatment outside the Gaza Strip, and relief supplies continue to be delayed. Annexation threatens to undermine the story of U.S. progress in the region.
Ultimately, the Knesset vote reveals a coordinated strategy. The far right is agitating and creating a spectacle for annexation. Netanyahu and Trump are intervening as good cops, claiming to prevent Israel from consolidating its control of the West Bank, when in reality it is consolidating its control over the West Bank. Annexation is progressing, but public discourse misleads the world about who is driving the annexation.
For Palestinians, the stakes are high. Their territory continues to shrink, violence continues, and appearances deceive the international community. Netanyahu, Trump, and the far right are all pursuing the same end goal, each playing a role in carefully staged political theater.
This isn’t just politics. This is a strategic performance designed to maintain U.S. support, control domestic coalitions, and keep the world focused on the wrong actors. The annexation of the West Bank is happening slowly and deliberately, while much of the global debate remains theatrical.