Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has said Israel does not intend to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria in the immediate future, citing the current position of US President Donald Trump.
Speaking in a briefing to members of American Friends of Likud, Sa’ar said such a move would have to be carried out in coordination with Washington.
“For now,” he said, Trump “doesn’t support that,” adding that Israel has no plans to proceed “at least in the coming months.”
The remarks, reported by Ynet based on a recording of the briefing, underline a familiar tension in Israeli policy: broad support on the Israeli right for formal sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, set against the diplomatic limits imposed by Jerusalem’s most important ally.
Sa’ar made clear that the government’s restraint on sovereignty does not mean acceptance of Palestinian statehood. On the contrary, he said Israel remains firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state and will continue strengthening Jewish communities across Judea and Samaria.
That policy, he acknowledged, has contributed to friction with Europe, where many governments view settlement growth as an obstacle to their preferred diplomatic formula. Sa’ar noted that Israel’s settlement policy is not dictated by European expectations regarding the region’s future.
The Netanyahu government has pursued a major expansion of Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria, approving tens of thousands of housing units and numerous new communities during its current term. Elections are legally due by Oct. 27, giving the government only a limited window before Israelis return to the polls.
The sovereignty debate has also exposed political sensitivities inside Israel. During US Vice President JD Vance’s visit last year, Israeli lawmakers advanced a bill calling for sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, drawing sharp criticism from both Washington and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Vance called the move a “stupid political stunt” and said the West Bank would not be annexed by Israel. Netanyahu likewise accused opposition parties of trying to create a diplomatic crisis during the visit.
Still, public support inside Israel remains significant. A 2025 survey found nearly 70% of Israelis favor extending full Israeli legal sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, while other polling has shown many Israeli Jews view the communities there as contributing to national security.
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