US President Joe Biden imposes sanctions on Israeli settlers over West Bank violence

Sanctions have been imposed by the Biden administration on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank. The move signals mounting United States’ displeasure with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The new sanctions by the US State Department sanctions are the latest since Hamas on 7 October, 2023, carried out an attack on Israel and Israel responded with an assault on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. The latest sanctions block financial assets of these four Israeli nationals and restrict them from visiting the US. The executive order was issued by US President Joe Biden on Thursday and aims to punish ill-behaved Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians envisage a future state. Who are the order targets? The US State Department said, the order focuses on four individuals - David Chai Chasdai, Einan Tanjil, Shalom Zicherman and Yinon Levi - accused of directly perpetrating violence or intimidation in the West Bank. It also includes people accused of inciting and leading a riot, setting buildings, fields and vehicles on fire; assaulting civilians; and damaging property. Who are four Israeli sanctioned by US? The US began imposing visa bans on people involved in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since December last year. A statement issued by the US State Department on Thursday said: 1- David Chai Chasdai initiated and led a riot that included setting vehicles and buildings on fire and causing damage to property in Huwara, resulting in the death of a Palestinian civilian 2- Einan Tanjil assaulted Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists by attacking them with stones and clubs, resulting in injuries that required medical treatment 3- Shalom Zicherman, according to video evidence, assaulted Israeli activists and their vehicles in the West Bank, blocking them on the street, attempted to break the windows of passing vehicles with activists inside, and cornered at least two of the activists and injured both 4- Yinon Levi led a group of settlers that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, burned their fields and destroyed their property. What will happen next? The sanction order will block the property of the individuals and financial transactions in the US. It will also restrict Americans from funding or contributing money to them. An official said, though some dual nationals have been accused of being involved in the violence, the order is directed towards foreign nations and not the citizens of America. Issuing a statement, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the order establishes a system for imposing financial sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals who attack or intimidate Palestinians or seize their property, “Today’s actions seek to promote peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” he added. Biden and other senior US officials have warned repeatedly that Israel must act to stop violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. The US President has raised the issue directly with Netanyahu, a report by Reuters cited one senior official as saying, who further said Biden seeks a path to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians once the Gaza conflict ends. ‘US will continue to take actions’ In a separate statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “Israel must do more to stop violence against civilians in the West Bank and hold accountable those responsible for it.” “The United States will continue to take actions to advance the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution, and is committed to the safety, security, and dignity of Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Blinken added. Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land. On 7 October last year, Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people and took 253 others hostages, precipitating an Israeli offensive that has laid waste to much of Gaza. Meanwhile, health officials in the enclave Thursday said the confirmed death toll had risen above 27,000, with thousands more dead still lying under the rubble. With inputs from Reuters