The National Interest Foundation Newsletter

Issue 296, August 8, 2025

Welcome to our NIF Newsletter. In this week’s edition, we delve into U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson eliciting condemnation for calling the illegally occupied West Bank an integral part of Israel, while also examining Israel’s plan for a full-scale attack on Gaza with U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

Editor: Bassam Tarbush

U.S. House Speaker Elicits Condemnation for Calling the Illegally Occupied West Bank an Integral Part of Israel

House Speaker Johnson led a high-level Republican delegation on a trip to the occupied West Bank earlier this week. (Photo from AP)

United States House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently led a Republican delegation to the occupied West Bank, with the trip including a visit to an illegal Israeli settlement there, making him the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to do so. Johnson drew criticism for the move, as well as his remarks that the territory was “the front line of the state of Israel and must remain an integral part of it.” Observers noted that the trip represented a blatant violation of international law, while also lamenting that the comments are a provocative incitement that encourage further illegal Israeli land seizures and settler violence against Palestinians. The Israeli government has repeatedly approved the construction and expansion of settlements despite numerous articles of international law prohibiting them. This has flagrantly been done in an attempt to create circumstances on the ground that obstruct the prospect of Palestinian statehood, especially as an increasing number of countries express their intention to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

The views conveyed by Johnson run contrary to the U.S. State Department’s official position that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are inconsistent with international law and an obstacle to peace. The United States first adopted this stance in the late 1970s, and it stood until then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reversed it during the first Trump administration. However, Biden-era Secretary of State Antony Blinken restored the longstanding State Department position back in 2024. Incumbent Marco Rubio has signaled support for reverting to the first Trump administration’s position, while some sanctions have also been lifted that were previously imposed on extremist settlers – including one who murdered a Palestinian activist last week. All of this is troubling given that the international community overwhelmingly deems Israeli settlements to be illegal and a major barrier to peace, as human rights groups have documented the significant uptick in settler violence as well. Around a year ago, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s top court, reaffirmed that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. It is estimated that approximately 750,000 Israelis currently reside in more than 250 illegal settler colonies in the occupied West Bank.

With the trip, Johnson was not only condemned for becoming the first House Speaker and highest-ranking U.S. official to visit an illegal Israeli settlement, as the nature of his rhetoric and actions while there garnered denunciation as well. He, along with over a dozen other members of Congress, participated in a tree-planting event in the illegal settlement of Ariel. During the visit, Johnson also repeatedly used the Israeli term for the occupied West Bank, proclaiming that “Judea and Samaria was the rightful property of the Jewish people.” It is precisely because of overt displays of support like this for blatant Israeli violations of international law that authorities feel they can act with impunity without fear of being held accountable.

Rather than relay concern with the continued unlawful occupation and settlement expansion that the world collectively opposes, actions like those of the U.S. House Speaker warrant criticism as they instead normalize and even embolden further violations. Additionally, it undermines peace efforts and serves as a direct rebuke to the recent diplomatic measures that have been taken as a result of growing outrage over Israel’s behavior in both Gaza and the West Bank. In fact, Johnson seemed to even reference this explicitly when he stated that “Even if the world thinks otherwise, we stand with you.” At a critical juncture in time when an array of voices and entities around the world are expressing justifiable horror at the Israeli government’s actions, those in positions of power like Johnson should seek to understand why this has become so commonplace as opposed to perpetuating injustice.

Israel Plans for a Full-Scale Attack on Gaza with U.S. President Trump’s Endorsement

Trump has failed to convey what should be clear opposition to Israel’s deeply alarming planned military escalation and pursuit of a full occupation of Gaza. (Photo from AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has pushed plans for a full military takeover and occupation of Gaza despite widespread global condemnation and even domestic pushback. The United Nations and human rights organizations have warned that the major military escalation would represent yet another Israeli violation of international law and worsen the already dire humanitarian conditions in the territory – which have increasingly garnered outrage and denunciation in recent weeks. Notably absent from the host of entities voicing explicit opposition to the plan, however, has been U.S. President Trump, whose tacit endorsement deserves criticism as well for enabling it. The undeniable leverage that Trump and the United States has over Israel was highlighted earlier this week when a group of around 600 retired Israeli officials issued a joint letter to the American president urging him to pressure Netanyahu to end the calamitous war. Yet, the continued failure to do so has paved the way for the Israeli government to consider a disturbing new expansion of its war crimes and unlawful actions in Gaza, with cabinet ministers approving the plan yesterday.

Even as President Trump has said that it is up to Netanyahu if he wants to occupy Gaza, the plan has drawn fierce opposition both internationally and from many domestically within Israel, including military officials and the families of hostages held by Hamas. The latter have called for mass protests and stated that the Israeli prime minister is blatantly prolonging and expanding the war efforts, largely motivated by a desire to ensure his political survival and appease far-right coalition partners. Additionally, members of the Israeli military establishment themselves have expressed objections to the plan. All of this comes as a growing number of Israeli human rights groups, academics, and authors have become increasingly critical of Israel’s War on Gaza as well, with more and more labeling what is taking place there as a genocide. Furthermore, opinion polls in Israel have consistently shown that a large majority are in favor of ending the conflict. At the global level, in response to the recently pushed through plan, UN human rights officials have stated that the implementation of this must be immediately halted. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Israel’s decision as wrong, while the German government announced that it will not approve any exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice. Observers have outlined that Germany’s move is significant, as it comes from one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe and its second largest international provider of arms after the United States.

Any additional escalation in Israeli military attacks on Gaza would heighten civilian suffering and deteriorate the already inadequate humanitarian response. Under the current conditions, incoming aid into Gaza meets less than 15 percent of basic needs, and this would only worsen as a result of a full-scale military assault on the entire enclave. Equally as troubling is the fact that the takeover plan involves the occupation of cities and forcible removal of civilians, which analysts contend is intended to fragment Gaza’s territorial and social fabric through military action. Most of the approximately 2 million residents of Gaza have been repeatedly displaced during the course of the 22-month long conflict, and the plan would see Israeli forces move into the areas where these civilians are now concentrated and have sought refuge from the violence. One of these is Gaza City, with Israeli officials openly admitting that the takeover plan there is designed to force its nearly 1 million people to leave by depriving them of access to food and other essential supplies.

While many around the world and inside Israel express their outrage at the Gaza takeover plan, the Trump administration’s lack of concern is alarming. As experts have been quick to point out, it is clear that the United States possesses an enormous amount of leverage over Israel, and that the Netanyahu government would certainly not initiate such a widely condemned move in the absence of some sort of consent or tacit support from American officials. This makes the Trump administration’s inaction and indifference all the more problematic considering that it has the means to prevent these types of continued violations and obstacles to peace from materializing. The universal acknowledgement of the deplorable humanitarian conditions that Israel’s actions have created in Gaza should be enough alone to compel all political entities, particularly those with great clout on the world stage, to stand in the way of any further harmful transgressions.