Trump Renews Remarks on Israel’s Small Size Amid Talks on West Bank Annexation
During a White House exchange, Trump compared Israel’s size to a pen tip, raising questions about territorial expansion as he prepares to meet Netanyahu in Washington.
Watan-U.S. President Donald Trump has once again commented on the small size of Israel, months after previously stating that “Israel looks small on the map, and I have always wondered how it could be expanded.”
On Monday, when asked by a journalist at the White House whether he supported Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank, Trump gave a vague response, initially saying, “I won’t talk about that, but Israel is very small.”
He continued, “Israel is a very small country. My office is like the Middle East—do you see this pen in my hand? It’s very beautiful, by the way. Israel is like the tip of this pen, and that’s not good, is it? I’ve used this analogy before, and it’s actually very accurate. It’s a very small country, and it’s amazing that they have achieved what they have. It really is a very small area.”
For more than two weeks, the Israeli occupation army has been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the northern West Bank, demolishing homes and displacing residents, in scenes reminiscent of the 15-month-long extermination campaign in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington until Saturday. The meeting is expected to determine the fate of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
On Monday, Trump stated that there are no guarantees the Gaza ceasefire will hold, while his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that the agreement is currently holding. Their statements were made to journalists at the White House.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted sources as saying that Trump and Witkoff are determined to finalize the agreement for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza before the war ends.
