US Imposes New Sanctions On Israeli Settlers, Groups Over West Bank Violence

Washington: The United States imposed fresh sanctions on several Israeli settlers and affiliated groups, accusing them of engaging in violent activities or threatening civilians in the West Bank, Al Jazeera reported. The sanctions, announced by the US Department of State and Department of the Treasury on Thursday, target three individuals Isachar Manne, Reut Ben Haim, and Aviad Shlomo Sarid and four illegal settlement outposts, Manne Farm, Meitarim Farm, Hamahoch Farm, and Neriya’s Farm.
The US government also made claims that these individuals and groups have seized property and engaged in actions that undermine security in the region, as per Al Jazeera.
The US also blacklisted Lehava, an umbrella group for Israeli settlers, which it described as the “largest violent extremist organisation in Israel” with more than 10,000 members.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Thursday that “US is deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security.”
Further, he added that “We strongly encourage the Government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable. In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures.”
The sanctions imposed by the US government mean that the individuals and groups targeted can no longer access any assets they have in the US, and American citizens are prohibited from engaging in business with them.
In response, the group Lehava condemned the US decision and President Joe Biden, saying the group will not stop its 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,” it said.
The European Union had already punished Lehava earlier by freezing their assets and visa ban blacklist, due to their violent attacks on Palestinians.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence in the past year, particularly since Israel’s war on Gaza erupted in October.
Since then, at least 553 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the territory, and 9,510 have been detained, according to Palestinian officials.
About 3 million Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and more than 500,000 Israelis reside in more than 100 settlements across the territory.