Intel: Biden warns against West Bank annexation as Israel lobbies Trump for green light

May 19, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden told campaign donors today that any Israeli annexation of the West Bank would “choke off any hope for peace,” according to a transcript of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s remarks seen by Al-Monitor.

“We also have to make clear I do not support annexation,” the presumptive Democratic nominee said at a virtual fundraiser with Jewish Democrats. “Israel needs to stop the threats of annexation and stop settlement activity because it will choke off any hope of peace. Today neither [Israel’s] present government or the Palestinians want to take steps thanks to President Trump’s unilateralism.”

He added that the Trump administration has “just been unequivocal on anything that [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] does and has been equivocating on the importance of this two-state solution.”

Tickets for the virtual fundraiser started at $1,000 and hosts had to raise or contribute $28,000.

Why it matters: Biden’s comments came a day after his chief foreign policy adviser, Tony Blinken, told advocates from the Democratic Majority for Israel group that the former vice president would raise most disagreements with the close US ally in private. But the former vice president’s remarks today illustrate an inherent point of tension with Netanyahu, who wants to move forward with annexation as soon as possible for fear that a Biden victory in November could complicate his plans.