Congressional Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Curb West Bank Annexation Path

More than seventy-five Democratic representatives and senators from both chambers of the US Congress sent a public letter, published on Tuesday, urging President Donald Trump's administration to take a firmer stance against Israeli efforts to impose de facto sovereignty over the West Bank, warning of the repercussions for stability and the possibility of achieving a just political settlement. The signatories demanded clear American intervention to reset the compass and prevent a slide towards unilateral steps that would close the doors to diplomatic solutions.
The letter was originally sent last Friday (1/16/2026) to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and was initiated by Senator Peter Welch and Representative Ro Khanna. It emphasized the need for urgent and tangible actions to maintain the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and prevent its collapse under the weight of increasing polarization, thereby ensuring that the prospect of a two-state solution remains a viable option, not just a political slogan that erodes over time.
The lawmakers affirmed in their letter that the American role at this stage is extremely sensitive, considering that Washington is capable – if it wishes – of effectively influencing Israeli decisions. They wrote that “American leadership is crucial at this moment,” demanding that the State Department unequivocally inform the Israeli government that its policies in the West Bank will lead to negative consequences that are not limited to opportunities for peace and regional security, but extend to the daily lives of Palestinians and the nature of the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.
Congressional members pointed out that there are Israeli legislations being prepared or discussed that would gradually entrench annexation, either directly or through the establishment of "de facto annexation" paths. In this context, they called on the United States to re-impose sanctions adopted by the Biden administration and to condemn what they described as the expansion of Israeli settlers through pressure, violence, and the imposition of facts on the ground, making the West Bank an open arena for accelerated geographical and political change.
The letter noted that despite the United States' official rejection of annexation, Israel has recently seen voices within the Israeli government affirming its commitment to expanding "sovereignty" in the West Bank. Lawmakers also pointed to a preliminary vote in the Knesset in favor of two bills aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, in addition to dozens of other projects that, if approved, would grant annexation official legal cover in various forms and open the door to transforming settlement from an expansion policy into a permanent governance structure.
The signatories expressed grave concern about bills seeking to annex settlements north, east, and south of occupied Jerusalem, with the aim of creating an expanded municipality under Israeli control, which they consider a central step towards tightening control over Jerusalem and its surroundings and redrawing the map of both land and identity. One of the sponsors of these projects had previously described them as “a major station towards full sovereignty.”
In the same context, lawmakers noted that Benjamin Netanyahu's government has pushed for settlement construction in the "E1" area east of Jerusalem, an area estimated at about 12 square kilometers, and a tender for housing units was issued earlier this month. They considered that this type of project, coupled with other expansions, would practically divide the West Bank into separate northern and southern enclaves, severing the geographical contiguity of Palestinian territories, thereby deliberately undermining the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
The letter was not limited to warning against proposed legislation but also affirmed that the reality of "de facto annexation" already exists on the ground, through recurring patterns of systematic violence, intimidation of Palestinian communities, and forced displacement. It stated that settlers in several areas of the West Bank are working to displace Palestinians from their lands and expand settlements, including in Taybeh, Wadi Fukin, Silwan, and Al-Walaja, which exacerbates tensions and threatens to ignite the region more broadly.
The letter received support from liberal American Jewish groups that identify themselves as pro-Israel but oppose annexation and settlement policies. Hannah Morris, a representative of J Street, said that her organization appreciates Senator Welch's leadership in pressuring the Trump administration and Secretary of State Rubio to ensure a halt to de facto annexation efforts, emphasizing that the establishment of a Palestinian state – not the continuation of occupation or the entrenchment of annexation – is the only path capable of providing a just and lasting peace for both parties.
For his part, Hadar Susskind, president of the New Jewish Narrative organization, said that the Trump administration has failed to curb settlement expansion and destabilize the West Bank, adding that 2025 saw record levels of settler attacks on Palestinians, and that the letter serves as a direct wake-up call to Secretary of State Rubio. He also praised Welch and Khanna for their initiative, expressing hope that the administration would take this frank appeal seriously.
The importance of this letter stems from its issuance by a broad Democratic bloc within Congress, which gives it political and moral weight and reflects the widening gap within Washington on how to manage the relationship with Israel. Annexation, whether in the form of an explicit legal decision or through gradual settlement expansion, puts the United States to the test of its credibility: can it defend the "two-state solution" narrative as a policy, or will it merely repeat it as a diplomatic phrase that does not prevent the collapse of reality on the ground?
The paradox, according to experts, is that "de facto annexation" does not always require an official declaration to become a reality; it is enough for the land to be transformed into separate enclaves, for movement restrictions to be imposed, and for residents to be expelled under the pressure of violence or "laws," until the future is governed by power balances rather than decisions of international legitimacy. Therefore, the lawmakers' demand for the re-imposition of sanctions and decisive intervention is not a procedural detail, but a belated attempt to stop an accumulative process that, if completed, will leave the settlement with only its form, while its substance is lost.