[Order Michael Finch’s new book, A Time to Stand: HERE. Prof. Jason Hill calls it “an aesthetic and political tour de force.”]
He didn’t say why, but I think I know. Christine Douglass-Williams wrote about the latest from the mercurial president here, and here is more: “Trump: I will not allow Israel to annex Judea and Samaria,” by Elad Benari, Israel National News,
US President Donald Trump stressed in a conversation with reporters on Thursday that he will “not allow” Israel to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump replied firmly when asked by a reporter about the issue.
Asked whether he spoke about it with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about this, Trump responded, “Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it, whether I spoke to him or not. I did, but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
Are you shocked? Of course you are. Here he was, Donald J. Trump, the man who moved the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, and has had his diplomats at the U.N. General Assembly defend Israel, and at the Security Council, veto the endless series of anti-Israel resolutions. But Donald J. Trump always likes to keep us guessing. In fact, he likes to keep himself guessing, because you often have the feeling he has no idea what he’s going to say next, and whether he means what he says, or possibly is just sending up a trial balloon to see what the reaction will be, in order to determine his next move. He’s erratic. But we know that there are two steadfast stars in his firmament: Money, and Golf.
The day before making his announcement that he “won’t allow” Israel to “annex the West Bank,” Donald J. Trump had a meeting with representatives from eight Arab and Muslim states: Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, where he listened to complaints about Israel, and was urged to put a stop to any Israeli “annexation of the West Bank.” No doubt that was enough to persuade him to publicly call for exactly that: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”
Why is that? Let’s start with Saudi Arabia.
Just this May, Saudi Arabia agreed to invest $600 billion in America. In 2023 Saudi Arabia’s sovereign investment fund put two billion dollars into Affinity Partners, an investment firm that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, runs.
While the Saudi government has not directly invested in Donald Trump’s personal companies, significant financial connections exist through licensing agreements and investments in companies that his family members lead. This includes direct payments from a Saudi real estate developer to the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization has received licensing fees from a Saudi real estate developer, Dar Al Arkan, who paid the Trump Organization over $27 million in licensing fees for projects in Dubai and Oman between 2021 and 2024. The payments were for branding rights on properties, including a hotel, a golf club, and a villa complex.
As of September 2025, there is a Trump-branded golf course under development in Saudi Arabia, which is part of a larger relationship between the Trump Organization and entities in the Middle East. The partnership is with Dar Global, a London-based company with ties to Saudi Arabia.
In Qatar, the Trump Organization in April signed a deal to build a three-billion dollar luxury golf resort, with an 18-hole championship course.
In Turkey, Trump does not own any properties, but the Trump Organization licenses his name for the Trump Towers Istanbul complex. This is a branding and licensing deal, not a property ownership arrangement. However, now that Trump has agreed to let Turkey buy a squadron of F-35s, I have a feeling that there will soon be a Trump International Golf Resort under development on the outskirts of Istanbul.
In Dubai, the Trump Organization already has a golfing foothold in the region with Dubai’s Trump International Golf Club, which opened during Trump’s first term, in 2017. It was inaugurated by Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. but is owned by — can you guess? — Donald J. Trump. And also in Dubai, the Trump Organization has under development a residential and hotel project, Trump International Hotel & Tower.
In Oman, The Trump Organization is also behind the much-anticipated $500 million Trump International Oman, a luxury golf resort that is still under development.
In Indonesia, there is now both a Trump International Resort & Golf Club, Bali, and Trump Residences & Golf Club, Lido, West Java.
But enough about golf clubs and luxury resorts. Need I remind you that in just the last month, the United Arab Emirates invested two billion dollars in the Trump Family’s cryptocurrency company?
And let’s not forget the $400 million plane, a Boeing 747 that is a gift from Qatar, which Trump intends to sell and use the proceeds to help build his presidential library.
Now you understand why, soon after meeting with representatives of Saudi Arabia, the UAE (which includes Dubai), Qatar, Oman, Turkey, and Indonesia, all countries where Donald J. Trump and his sons have been doing business bigly, Donald J. Trump might have been moved to declare that “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen.”