Fear of Israeli settlers' violence on the rise amid US gun orders: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
6 Nov 2023 09:54
2 Shares

"Israel" is seeking 24,000 assault rifles from the US as Ben-Gvir distributes guns to settlers and organizes "Security Squads" to murder more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli occupation Police Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, distributing US rifles to settlers in the West Bank (AFP via Getty Images)

A request from the Israeli occupation to acquire 24,000 assault rifles from the United States is raising concerns among US lawmakers and some State Department officials, The New York Times reported.

US lawmakers and some State Department officials are extremely worried that these weapons could potentially end up in the hands of Israeli settlers and settlers' militias involved in forcibly displacing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, where violence has been on the rise.

CNN published a report on the violence and threats of Israeli “settlers” against Palestinian farmers who live in villages in the West Bank.
.
“The homes of farmers are raided, their homes are burned, and they are forced to move from their homes using weapons.”

نشرت CNN تقرير عن… pic.twitter.com/vE6Bv2RepA
— د. جمال الملا (@DrJamal11) November 6, 2023

The three proposed batches of semiautomatic and automatic rifles have an estimated value of $34 million and are set to be procured directly from American firearm manufacturers, the report said.

However, the acquisition requires approval from the State Department and notification to Congress. "Israel" has claimed that the rifles are intended for use by the so-called "national police force" but there have been indications that they could be distributed to settlers, according to sources familiar with the arms procurement mentioned in The New York Times.

Other than the 8,000 #Palestinians murdered in #Gaza, "Israel" has also killed 114 Palestinians in the occupied #WestBank since October 7.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/5RuG7s2bro
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 29, 2023

US division over fear of 'human rights violations'

The State Department provided an informal notice of the sale to the congressional committees last week, triggering concerns and leading to requests for more detailed inquiries into how "Israel" plans to use these weapons. There is a divide within the department, with officials responsible for human rights issues expressing reservations, while those overseeing arms sales are poised to approve the orders and make an official announcement in the coming days, as per US officials.

The Israeli occupation's police are looking to enhance their weapons inventory in response to promises of supplying thousands of firearms to Israeli settlers in over 1,000 occupied Palestinian towns and cities, including Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Over many years, around 500,000 Israeli settlers have lived on occupied Palestinian land, and together with military checkpoints, barriers, and other measures from the Israeli government, they have created a situation where the 2.7 million Palestinians in the region live in isolated enclaves under Israeli occupation.

This is the so-called peace state. It distributes weapons to settlers to kill the landowners and rob their homes #FreePalaestine 🇵🇸💔 pic.twitter.com/mK1rSLYeLS
— Sondos almaha (@AlmahaSondos) October 29, 2023

While a significant portion of the global criticism directed at "Israel" has focused on its brutal airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, which have reportedly resulted in the killing of nearly 10,000 people, primarily women and children, according to health ministry officials in Gaza, President Biden and his top advisors have been reportedly concerned about the escalating violence in the West Bank.

Even before the outbreak of the current Israeli aggression on Gaza, there was a notable increase in violence initiated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. These settlers aimed to force Palestinians to be displaced from strategically significant areas of their land, and the level of violence had already exceeded that of recent years.

US officials attributed this rise in violence to the encouragement provided to settlers by the government of Israeli occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as statements by some Israeli officials endorsing the further usurpation of lands in the West Bank.

State Department officials responsible for overseeing arms sales have engaged in discussions with their Israeli counterparts to address potential concerns. Jessica Lewis, the assistant secretary in the political-military affairs bureau, stated that they have received "assurances from the Israelis that the rifles will exclusively be provided to units under the Israeli National Police (I.N.P.)."

However, no specific details were provided regarding what "I.N.P.-controlled units" means, although one official claimed that such units do not operate in the West Bank. Additionally, the agency does not offer specific comments on licensed commercial arms sales.

It's worth noting that Israeli occupation Police Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, pledged last month to supply firearms to settlements.

Police Minister Ben Gvir gives out weapons to illegal Israeli settlers to be used against Palestinians.#Palestine #PalestineGenocide pic.twitter.com/lllxc2Egxw
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 23, 2023

'Israel' is preparing for a carnage in the West Bank with US aid

US officials examining the orders have pointed out that "Israel's" request differs from previous ones in explicitly mentioning the possibility of providing rifles to settlers. Given the violence by settler groups, this has raised concerns among some Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. These lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to provide assurances regarding the current arms orders.

The United States regularly sells a wide array of weapons to "Israel", including the munitions currently being used by the Israeli military in its genocide in Gaza. President Biden has requested an additional $14 billion in military aid for "Israel" from Congress, although there is increasing criticism of this position among Democrats.

"Israel" is purchasing a significant portion of the pending rifles from Colt's Manufacturing, including M4s and MK18s. Some of these rifles are ready for shipment, while others are yet to be manufactured.

When asked about the purpose of these rifles, the Israeli Embassy in Washington claimed that such questions and related concerns were thoroughly addressed during the process of obtaining approval from the US government for the licensing and procurement of the firearms.

Ben-Gvir oversees the police and plans to organize the newly armed settlers into "security squads" in each settlement. These squads will reportedly receive training from the police and operate under the local police force's control.

Israeli Minister of National Security, Etamar Ben Gavir, distributes American-made weapons to settlers in the West Bank.

#FreePalenstine pic.twitter.com/FY2Qt66qxj
— Nader Asmar (@NadrAsmar) October 29, 2023

Documentation: A settler shot a Palestinian point blank in the village A-Tuwani, South Hebron Hills pic.twitter.com/Pu72XJATlJ
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) October 13, 2023

Concurrently, the government has simplified the process for settlers to acquire firearms licenses, a change supported by Ben-Gvir, which he stated would make it possible for approximately 400,000 more civilians, roughly 4 percent of the population, to obtain a firearm.

Toward the end of October, Ben-Gvir shared photos of himself distributing assault rifles to settlers during a political event. These images raised concerns among officials in the Biden administration and within Congress.