Is Israel on the brink of annexing Judea and Samaria?

The idea, which has been the subject of conversation for years, has gained new fervor and hope ever since the Donald J. Trump won the U.S. presidential election just two weeks ago. Wasting no time, he quickly began to nominate individuals to head up his administration, most notably, as it relates to Israel, former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee whom he has chosen to be Ambassador to Israel.

As a devout Zionist evangelical, who is also a staunch supporter and ally of the Jewish homeland, Huckabee, unashamedly refers to Judea and Samaria by its biblical name, rather than the more generic title, West Bank, a term used to delegitimize the land belonging to Israel. 

So passionate about his commitment to this territory, that Huckabee, “wants to buy a home in the Judean town of Efrat and be a settler himself.” On the same page as his boss, the incoming president, who was responsible for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the country’s capital of Jerusalem, Huckabee “told Israel’s Army Radio, in his first interview since the announcement of his nomination came, that 'of course' the annexation of Judea and Samaria is a possibility under a second Trump White House.”

But he’s not the only one talking about the subject. Israeli American journalist, Caroline Glick, put out a clip, stating, “Our men, woman and civilians, who have given their lives this past year, have done enough, for us to stand up and say, ‘We demand your respect and recognition. This is our land, and we’re going to apply our sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, the mountains of Samaria, the hills of Judea and everything in between. It’s Jewish land. It’s ours. We’ve earned everybody’s respect in the past year and the past 3,500 years, and I think that the bill has come due, and we have to demand that it be paid.”

While followers of the scriptures, understand that there is no dispute as to the people to whom God promised the land of Israel, which includes what is often referred to as “the territories,” most also have known that forcing an issue, which would likely result in the instigation of conflict and tremendous blowback from a myriad of people, governments and agencies, who bitterly oppose such a move, would not be prudent.  

Despite the events of the last year, and the “River to the Sea” chants, these individuals refuse to give up on the two-state solution, still under the delusional belief that such a thing remains a viable option for peaceful coexistence in the region.  

But October 7th changed all of that, because, once the dust settled, the unequivocal message gleaned was that Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and those supporting them, had invested in a 20-year plan, waiting for the perfect moment to completely eradicate the Jewish state.

It graphically illustrated that, contrary to popular belief, they never hoped to be our partners in achieving peace. Instead, they patiently plotted the takeover of our land by attacking us from all sides, and while that didn’t work, it did serve to reveal the futility of a doomed two-state solution, as nothing more than a pipe dream. Now that we know all of this, what is stopping us from annexing Judea and Samaria?  

There are a few problems with this idea which are worth exploring, because while it seems to be a simple next step, it is far from that.

At the moment, there are approximately 2 million Arabs, who identify as Palestinians, living in the areas of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. They have no voting rights nor do they serve in the military. If those territories are annexed, what becomes of them? Do they then automatically receive voting rights?  

Many of the suicide bombers and terrorists who have committed acts of terror upon our Jewish citizens come from these parts. Others are very antagonistic against their Jewish neighbors. With the Palestinian birth rate being much higher than that of their Jewish counterparts, they would overtake every election in just a few years.  

Some have suggested that they be transferred to other countries, but how would that be implemented and who would oversee such a massive undertaking? Can anyone imagine the outrage that such a decision would cause? Nations of the world, headed by the U.N. and international courts would see it as an incendiary act of defiance, tantamount to a declaration of war. It is not hyperbolic to say that the full weight of the world would come down on Israel like a ton of bricks as headlines in every newspaper would read, “Palestinians Exiled from their Own Land by Zionist Oppressors.” 

Israel would become the greatest pariah ever, losing the support of most. So even if the Trump administration is as committed to Israel declaring her sovereignty over this land, would they be able to withstand the tsunami of rage which would, undoubtedly, come their way, should such a decision be taken?

These are all good and important concerns which need to be explored, in detail, before any annexation takes place, because it is a position when, once taken, cannot be reversed. To many, it will be seen as having taken the “nuclear option,” and so it must be considered soberly and wisely as to the timing, the repercussions and how to manage a hostile population within one’s own sovereign land.

The scriptures speak of a future time when Israel will come to the realization of her full inheritance of the land.  Some of those passages are found in Isaiah 2, Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31. As we read about that period, we see that God will judge between the nations, settling disputes. War will end and that time will usher in a true and lasting peace.  It doesn’t sound remotely similar to our current days.  

In fact, it only seems to happen when God, Himself divinely and sovereignly moves in a way which is not possible for men and nations to accomplish on their own. And this is another reason that the aspiration of arbitrarily taking the land, even though it rightly belongs to the Jewish people, can probably only be something which is executed by the Almighty.

Consequently, even though there has never been a more favorable American government to promote such a gargantuan prophetic turn of events, it might be best to prayerfully seek wisdom from God, before anyone takes matters into their own hands, because He’s the one who ultimately holds the right timetable of history.