Pompeo says it is up to Israel to decide on West Bank annexation

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that it is up to Israel to make its own decisions on whether to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do.

Speaking to reporters, Pompeo said extending Israeli sovereignty was a decision “for Israelis to make.” With Netanyahu’s July 1 deadline approaching, aides to U.S. President Donald Trump began discussions on Tuesday on whether to give Netanyahu the green light for annexation, which has drawn condemnation from the Palestinians and U.S. Arab allies.