Some Israeli lawmakers are pushing for the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, but former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Thursday that he does not think the Israel cabinet is ready to make that step as the war continues.
"I don't think that the Israeli cabinet is ready for that fight while they're conducting operations in Lebanon and also in Gaza, and also with an open eye toward the Iranians," Wilkie said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
However, those calling for the annexation can fall back on Trump's actions in Israel during his first administration, when he moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and sanctioned the annexation of the Golan Heights, "which created a strategic buffer between Israel and its enemies in Syria and Iraq," said Wilkie.
"Those things have already been done but even I think that the West Bank annexation at this time would be too much, even for someone as fierce a warrior as [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu," he added.
Wilkie also commented on Trump's pick of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, noting that the choice sends an "important message" that "the United States as a whole is very supportive of the Jewish state and will do everything it can to protect Israel and see that it prospers."
Wilkie said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reportedly severed diplomatic and trade ties with Israel over its war in Gaza, and that Trump will have "many levers" that can be used to handle Erdogan's behavior.
"Erdogan is probably the most schizophrenic leader that President Trump confronted in his first term," said Wilkie. "He tries to portray himself as the real leader of the Muslim world, even though, obviously, the Turks are not of the same lineage as the Arabs and the Persians ... the one thing that I see is that with each year that goes by, the Turkish population gets a little more tired of Erdogan. And I hope that I'm not speaking for Mr. Trump, but I hope the day of his departure accelerates."
The former secretary also commented about Trump's pick of Pete Hegseth to head the Defense Department, noting that while some have questioned that, Hegseth is a veteran and the "founding brain behind the Concerned Veterans for America" which advocated for the overhaul of the Veterans Affairs Department.
"I do think it's very important that the American people see that in a position like that, there is someone who has put on the uniform and understands the culture and the language," he said.
He also noted that the current secretary, retired four-star Gen. Lloyd Austin, had extensive experience, but under his tenure, "the Department of Defense was a total disaster."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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