President Trump assured leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority nations this week that he would not allow Israel to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Israeli officials have suggested in recent weeks that their government could annex at least part of the West Bank in retaliation to decisions by several countries, including Britain, Canada and France, to recognize a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has faced growing calls from right-wing allies to extend sovereignty over the West Bank. On Sunday, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister, called for the government to adopt the measure “immediately.”
Mr. Trump offered assurances on annexation during a meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the three people familiar with the matter, including an Arab official. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.
The meeting included the president of Turkey, the emir of Qatar, the king of Jordan, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister of Egypt and other regional and Muslim leaders.
The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, described the discussion with President Trump as having been “productive and successful.”
The possibility of annexation has prompted rebuke in the Arab world. Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, and much of the world, have long envisioned that the territory would form part of a future independent Palestine.
About three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel has controlled since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Around half a million Israelis also live in the West Bank, in settlements scattered across the territory that the Palestinians and much of the world consider to be illegal.
If Israel unilaterally annexes part or all of the West Bank, it would underscore how distant the prospect of a Palestinian state has become. Many Palestinians, however, say that Israel’s policies toward the West Bank, including stringent restrictions on Palestinian movement and construction in the territory, already amount to a de facto annexation.
Palestinian officials have said that while recognition carries great symbolic value, it does not change the harsh reality experienced by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to Palestinian statehood.
“There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River,” he said. “For years, I have prevented the establishment of this terrorist state facing tremendous pressures at home and abroad.”
Isabel Kershner contributed reporting.
Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The Times, reporting on President Trump.
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