A White House official on Monday reiterated US President Donald Trump's opposition to Israel applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region," the official told the Reuters news agency.
The comments come a day after the Cabinet approved significant decisions that will reshape the legal and civil structure of Judea and Samaria, particularly focusing on removing regulatory barriers and accelerating settlement development.
These measures, pushed forward by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, aim to repeal outdated Jordanian-era legislation and improve land management practices. A key decision includes declassifying land registries in the area, which were previously kept confidential, to improve transparency and facilitate lawful land transactions.
Additionally, the cabinet lifted the ban on real estate sales to Jews, repealing the Jordanian law that prohibited such sales. This will allow Jewish buyers to purchase land under more straightforward procedures, similar to those in central Israel. The planning authority for Jewish areas near Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs has also been transferred to the Civil Administration, which will streamline planning processes.
Other measures include upgrading Rachel’s Tomb’s administrative status for better municipal services and expanding state oversight in Areas A and B for environmental and legal enforcement. The cabinet also re-established a long-dormant land purchase committee to proactively secure land for future settlement.
Last September, Trump stressed in a conversation with reporters that he will “not allow" Israel to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It's not going to happen," Trump replied firmly at the time, when asked by a reporter about the issue.
To the question of whether he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about this, Trump responded, “Yeah, but I'm not going to allow it, whether I spoke to him or not. I did, but I'm not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There's been enough. It's time to stop now."