US Sanctions Israeli Settlers Over West Bank Violence

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has approved financial sanctions on Israelis responsible for “extremist settler violence” against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, amid rising tensions between the US and Israel over a two-state solution in the region.

Biden signed an executive order on Thursday authorising the sanctions, which would cut off designated individuals from the American financial system, including barring them from receiving financial assistance from the US.

The sanctions amount to a broader US crackdown on the conduct of settlers in the West Bank compared with visa restrictions imposed on certain individuals late last year.

The sanctions also mark a rare move by the US to target the citizens of an allied country.

Biden’s move comes amid fears in Washington that violence by settlers in the West Bank is exacerbating tensions caused by the war in Gaza, undermining the prospects for a settlement of the conflict.

Re-election bid

The president took the action ahead of a trip to Michigan on Thursday, where the Arab-American community has warned the White House that many residents would oppose his re-election because of his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

Washington is also frustrated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected its vision for a diplomatic resolution that would involve the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

A senior Biden administration official said the US president had expressed his concern about settler violence in the West Bank “in almost every diplomatic conversation” he had with Israeli leaders about the crisis.

“These actions pose a grave threat to peace, security and stability in the West Bank, Israel and the Middle East region, and they also obstruct the realisation of ultimately an independent Palestinian state existing side-by-side with the state of Israel,” the official added.

By Agencies