By SCM Staff Writer I Wednesday, Oct.22, 2025
WASHINGTON—Forty-five Democratic senators, representing nearly the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, have called on President Donald Trump to publicly and forcefully reaffirm his administration’s opposition to any Israeli annexation of territory in the West Bank.
The move comes as international and domestic focus remains fixed on sustaining the tenuous ceasefire recently implemented in Gaza.
The unified appeal, delivered in a letter to the White House, stresses that unilateral actions by either side—Israeli annexation or Palestinian provocations—could severely damage the prospects for a lasting, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
”In this moment, it is essential that the United States reject measures that undermine the viability of a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the senators wrote.
The letter serves as a potent reminder of the internal divisions within the U.S. political landscape regarding the conflict, and a clear signal from the Democratic party that they view the preservation of a future Palestinian state as paramount, even as immediate security concerns in the region dominate headlines.
The senators, long-standing supporters of Israel’s security, emphasized that their opposition stems from a commitment to a negotiated resolution.
“As longstanding supporters of Israel’s security and Palestinian aspirations for statehood, we are unified in our opposition to unilateral measures by either party that undermine the prospect of lasting peace through negotiations to achieve a two-state solution,” the letter states.
“That includes any steps by Israel to annex territory or expand settlements that prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
While President Trump and his administration have at times signaled disapproval of broad annexation, Democrats fear that the current environment—where the immediate crisis in Gaza has drawn attention away from broader diplomatic issues—could embolden proponents of annexation within the Israeli government.
The letter explicitly seeks to anchor the White House to a firm diplomatic stance that rejects such territorial changes.
The decision by nearly every Senate Democrat to sign the letter underscores the party’s strong consensus on the diplomatic path forward. It places the onus on the Trump administration to exert pressure on its ally, Israel, at a moment when the regional stability is particularly fragile.
The senators hope that a clear, public rejection of annexation from the White House will help create the necessary space for renewed, good-faith negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders once the Gaza crisis fully abates.
