US Imposes Sanctions on Four Israelis Accused of Carrying Out Violence in the West Bank

Illustration of Israel's border with Palestine in the West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/Justin McIntosh)

JAKARTA - United States President Joe Biden's administration imposed sanctions on Thursday on four Israeli men accused of involvement in settler violence in the West Bank.

President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Thursday aimed at punishing Israeli settlers who misbehave in the occupied West Bank against Palestinians.

The order establishes a system for imposing financial sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals who attack or intimidate Palestinians or confiscate their property, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

"Today's action aims to increase peace and security for Israel and Palestine," he said, as reported by Reuters, February 2.

The US State Department sanctions, which freeze the four men's assets in the US and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, are the latest since Palestinian Hamas militants on October 7 launched an attack on Israel, which was retaliated by an attack on Gaza to eliminate the group.

Previously, the United States began enforcing a visa ban on people involved in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in December.

A State Department statement said those affected were David Chai Chasdai, Einan Tanjil, Shalom Zicherman and Yinon Levi.

"Israel must do more to stop violence against civilians in the West Bank and hold those responsible accountable," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement.

"The United States will continue to take action to advance United States foreign policy objectives, including the viability of the two-state solution, and is committed to the safety, security, and dignity of Israel and Palestine," he continued.

It is known that President Biden and other senior US officials have repeatedly warned that Israel must act to stop violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.

President Biden has discussed the issue directly with PM Netanyahu, a senior official said, as President Biden seeks a path to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine after the Gaza conflict ends.

Separately, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US officials had documented cases of settler violence with Israeli authorities, with some of them being followed up.

Miller said the level of settler violence in the West Bank has decreased in the past two months since the intervention. Three of the four sanctioned people have been tried by Israel, he added.

Responding to Washington's move, PM Netanyahu's office said it was an unnecessary action.

"Israel takes action against all lawbreakers everywhere, and therefore no unusual action is required in this matter," he said in a statement.

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. They have built Jewish settlements there that are considered illegal by most countries. Israel denies this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land.