US Announces New Sanctions Targeting Israeli Settlers and Groups for West Bank Violence

Washington DC, July 12:
US has sanctioned a number of Israeli settlers and associated organizations for allegedly threatening or participating in violent acts in the West Bank. Isachar Manne, Reut Ben Haim, and Aviad Shlomo Sarid, as well as four unauthorized settlement outposts—Manne Farm, Meitarim Farm, Hamahoch Farm, and Neriya’s Farm—are the targets of the penalties that were issued on Thursday by the US Department of State and the Department of the Treasury.

According to Al Jazeera, the US administration has also accused these individuals and groups of seizing property and engaging in activities that harm regional security. In addition, the United States placed Israeli settlers' umbrella group Lehava on its blacklist, citing it as the "largest violent extremist organization in Israel" with over 10,000 adherents.

As stated Thursday by State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller, "US is deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel's own security." Also, he emphasized the importance of the Israeli government acting swiftly to ensure that those responsible be held responsible. If these actions are not taken, we will persist in implementing our own accountability procedures. American people are forbidden from doing business with the sanctioned individuals or groups, and the US government has cut off their access to any assets they may have in the US.

Lehava has responded by slamming the US decision and President Joe Biden, stating that they will not back down from their actions. "Biden's measures won't deter us - we'll continue to act fearlessly to save Israel's daughters, much to the dismay of Biden and Israel's other enemies," the statement stated.

After Lehava's brutal assaults on Palestinians, the European Union penalized them by freezing their assets and adding them to a blacklist that bans visas. Since Israel's conflict with Gaza broke out in October, there has been an upsurge in violence in the occupied West Bank, which the Jewish state has controlled since 1967.

Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 553 Palestinians and imprisoned 9,510 more since then, according to Palestinian sources. In the West Bank, where Israel maintains an occupation, there are almost 3 million Palestinians and over 500,000 Israelis spread out throughout over a hundred settlements.