Israel has the right to annex at least the part of the West Bank, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in an interview with the New York Times. 

“Under certain circumstances,” Mr. Friedman said, “I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank.”

His comments can deepen the Palestinian opposition to the long-awaited US peace plan.

The Palestinians rejected this plan before it was made public, citing a string of actions by US President Donald Trump, who, they said, show that his administration is biased.

The creation of a Palestinian state in the territories, including the West Bank, which Israel occupied during the Six Day War of 1967, was at the center of all peace plans in the Middle East in the past.