The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported yesterday evening, citing sources confirming that the United States is preparing to impose sanctions on soldiers in the Israeli army operating in the West Bank due to failure to enforce the law against settler violence towards Palestinians.
An internal report from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that if the U.S. government does not receive responses regarding a series of allegations against soldiers and units of the Israeli army operating in the West Bank within 60 days, the United States will impose sanctions on the soldiers, as well as army leaders.
The broadcasting authority mentioned that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has warned Israel several times about the lack of law enforcement against settler violence towards Palestinians, but Tel Aviv’s response has been unsatisfactory.
Expanding Sanctions
According to the broadcasting authority, Israel is taking the threats from the Biden administration seriously, as the government prepares for the possibility of expanding sanctions to include officials in the army, members of the Knesset, and ministers.
It is expected that a ministerial discussion on this issue will take place in collaboration with the military prosecutor’s office to determine how to avoid escalating the situation, according to the official authority.
On January 1st of last year, Biden signed an executive order allowing sanctions on Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and included four of them on a blacklist.
The executive order permits issuing financial penalties and visa restrictions on individuals who are found to have attacked or terrorized Palestinians or seized their properties.
Biden deemed the situation in the West Bank, especially the high levels of violence by extremist settlers and property destruction, as intolerable, posing a serious threat to peace, security, and stability in the region.
Israeli sources indicated earlier this month that the Biden administration is considering imposing sanctions on the extreme ministers in the Israeli government, Minister of National Security, Benny Gantz, and Minister of Finance, Avigdor Lieberman.
It is worth noting that last December, the United States began enforcing a ban on issuing entry visas to individuals involved in acts of violence in the occupied West Bank.
Settler attacks with the protection of the Israeli army against Palestinians in the West Bank have increased since October 7th, coinciding with the occupation’s campaign of arrests and raids in various West Bank cities.
