**West Bank Settlers Hope for Annexation Under Trump**
A sunny day in Tel Aviv is a sight to behold. But from the hill overlooking Karnei Shomron, you can see the Israeli settlement clearly. Sondra Baras has lived there for nearly 40 years.
“I feel different from Tel Aviv,” she said. “I live in a place that my ancestors inhabited thousands of years ago. I don‘t live in occupied territories; I live in Biblical Judea & Samaria.”
Many settlers in the area have erased the line between Israel and the Jordanian territory it captured during the 1967 Middle East War.
The audio guide at the hilltop viewpoint describes the West Bank as “a region of Israel” and the Palestinian city Nablus as a place where God promised land to the Jews.
Despite the formal annexation remaining a distant dream for settlers like Sondra, they now see an opportunity with Donald Trump’s election as the next US President. Sondra was thrilled that he won and believes he would be willing to support extending sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
Signs suggest his incoming administration may agree with her. Mike Huckabee, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Israel, expressed support for Israeli claims in the West Bank last year.
When people use the word “occupied,” I say: “Yes, Israel occupies the land, but this is the occupation of land that God gave to them 3,500 years before.” He said.
Yisrael Gantz, head of the regional settlements council that oversees Karnei Shomron, says he’s noticed a difference in tone coming from the incoming Trump Administration. “They understand, both here in Israel and the US, that we must apply sovereignty here,” he said.
However, not all Israelis are optimistic about Trump’s decision on annexation. Some may be disappointed by his views on the issue, which could alienate Washington’s key ally Saudi Arabia and moderate Republicans in Congress who are concerned about the impact of West Bank Palestinians under Israeli rule.
Sondra Baras believes that if sovereignty moves forward, “there would definitely be a lot yelling, screaming and arguing.” But at some stage, you create an irreversible fact.”
Bezalel Schmotrich, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, called for the annexation of the Israeli settlements on the West Bank shortly after Trump’s victory in November. He said 2025 would be the year when Judea and Samaria would gain sovereignty.
Many Palestinians believe that the discussion of formal annexation is a distraction from the fact that Israel has already annexed territory in this area. They point to demolitions such as Mohaib Salmeh’s family home, which was built on private Palestinian property just outside Nablus. The building was declared illegal by an Israeli court and demolished last year.
Israel has interim control over security and planning for 60% of the West Bank, as laid out in the Oslo Peace Accords from three decades ago. Despite the expansion of settlements, permits for Palestinian homes are almost always denied. Lawyers say that demolitions such as this are on the rise.
Mohaib said, “This is part of a policy to force us to go.” It’s a policy of forced immigration. What does it matter to them [Israelis] whether I build here? We are not a threat to them.”
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