While the world focused on Gaza, the fight that Benjamin Netanyahu chose to avoid at the UN may be the one looming next: the future of the West Bank. His pointed silence on annexation, following a direct warning from Donald Trump, suggests this is a battle he is not yet ready to wage publicly.
Right-wing allies in his coalition are aggressively pushing for Israel to annex up to 82% of the West Bank, a move that would permanently kill any hope of a viable Palestinian state. This is a core demand for the political base that keeps him in power.
However, such a move would trigger a crisis with the United States, even under a friendly administration, as Trump’s comments made clear. It would also likely lead to sanctions from Europe and an explosion of violence in the West Bank itself.
By focusing his UN speech on Gaza and the diplomatic fight over statehood, Netanyahu kicked the can down the road. But the West Bank question has not disappeared. It remains a ticking time bomb at the heart of his government, and his silence at the UN only delayed an inevitable confrontation.