On Wednesday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on an Israeli nonprofit and a Jewish West Bank settlement. This is the latest effort by Washington to punish Jewish settlers it accuses of extremist violence against Palestinians.
Hashomer Yosh, an NGO aiding settlers, supported an unauthorized West Bank outpost already under sanctions, State Department’s Matthew Miller said.
The official involved is Yitzhak Levi Filant, a civilian security coordinator at the Yitzhar settlement. Filant led armed settlers in February to establish roadblocks and conduct patrols to force Palestinians from their land, Miller reported.
Miller condemned the violence, citing severe human suffering, threats to Israel’s security, and damage to regional peace efforts.
“Extremist settler violence in the West Bank causes intense human suffering, harms Israel’s security, and undermines the prospect for peace and stability in the region,” Miller added.
The statement called on Israel to hold those responsible for the violence accountable. Sanctions will freeze the assets of targeted individuals, block their access, and bar Americans from dealing with them.
These sanctions will be enacted under an executive order on West Bank violence signed by Biden in February. It has been used to impose sanctions on a Palestinian militant group as well as Jewish settlers and those supporting them.
A lawsuit challenging the order has been filed by some Pro-Israel groups and dual U.S-Israel citizens. It alleged that the order broadly penalizes anyone who opposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Pointed Discussion With U.S.
Israeli PM Netanyahu said that “Israel views with utmost severity the imposition of sanctions on citizens of Israel.”
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it had failed to protect civilians in the West Bank. This statement came in amid mounting international pressure on Israel to crack down on such violence.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians seek for a future state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land.
In February, the Biden administration affirmed settlements violate international law, reversing the previous Trump administration’s stance.
Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir denounced earlier sanctions against settlers.
