'Israel' troubled by US sanctions on MKs, forces, settlers in W. Bank

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
10 Feb 2024 14:04
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The occupation's Kan report states that IOF troops, members of the Knesset, ministers, and settlers in the West Bank suspected of the violations will be affected by the sanctions if put into place.

Israeli soldiers patrol an area damaged bay fires from torched vehicles during a rampage by settlers in Hawara, near the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP)

The Israeli occupation's Kan public broadcaster cited an internal Foreign Ministry memorandum that the United States will issue sanctions backed by the Leahy laws against settlers, forces, and ministers if "Israel" does not hand over an explanation for the “gross violations of human rights” in the occupied West Bank within 60 days.

The memorandum was reportedly penned by representatives from the Foreign Ministry and the IOF's Military Advocate Corps to whom US State Department officials have expressed concern by the Biden administration regarding the settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

With that being said, the Leahy laws are US statutory provisions forbidding aid to foreign military units given “credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.”

The Kan report stated that Israeli occupation soldiers, members of the Knesset, ministers, and settlers in the West Bank suspected of the violations will be affected by the sanctions if put into place.

Kan diplomatic correspondent Suleiman Maswadeh said the occupation's officials are “very, very worried” regarding the possibility of sanctions, which is due to be discussed next week.

It is worth noting that the possibility of sanctions by the US has been constantly brought up for the past two months, but it has been all bark and no bite.

Tensions on the rise

This comes after US President Joe Biden issued an executive order last week to put an end to increased violence in which Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank commit crimes against Palestinians.

According to claims by the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, the executive order creates a framework for implementing financial sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals identified to have engaged in acts of aggression or intimidation against Palestinians, including the seizure of their property.

The executive order results in the freezing of any assets held in the United States by the targeted individuals and generally prohibits Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office said there is "no room" for Biden's order on extremist settlers, claiming that "Israel" "acts against all lawbreakers."

The Prime Minister's office added in a statement that "there is no room for unusual measures in this regard."

An annual report by an Israeli NGO, Yesh Din, details Israeli police investigations and responses to settler violence in the #WestBank spanning from 2005 to 2023.

The study's findings underscores a consistent failure by Israeli police to fulfill its obligation of safeguarding… pic.twitter.com/TNgBhgOtxJ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 27, 2024

In December, a senior State Department official revealed that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his meeting with Netanyahu and his war cabinet, informed them of their intention to take action against an undisclosed number of individuals. The West Bank has witnessed a surge in violence recently, attributed to the expansion of Israeli settlements.