The Biden administration is expected to impose new sanctions, possibly as early as Thursday, on two illegal outposts in the West Bank that were used as bases for violent attacks by settlers against Palestinian citizens, according to three senior American officials.
The move comes at a time when the Biden administration is increasing pressure on Netanyahu’s government over a range of issues, including settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and the war in the Gaza Strip.
This will be the first time that the US imposes sanctions against illegal outposts and not just against settlers.
According to UN data, there were about 500 attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank between October 7 and the end of January.
This is the second round of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration against Israeli officials involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Along with the sanctions on the two outposts, sanctions will also be imposed on three settlers – according to senior American officials.
A senior American official said that the sanctions against the outposts are intended to convey a message that the United States is not only acting against people who are involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank but also against entities that are involved in providing logistical and financial assistance to attacks of this type.
The sanctions will freeze assets that the three settlers and the two outposts have in the US, prevent them from entering the US and block their access to the American banking system. As a result, Israeli banks may freeze bank accounts related to settlers and outposts against which American sanctions will be imposed.
There was no comment from the US State Department.
On February 1, President Biden signed a presidential order that allows sanctions to be imposed on Israeli settlers – as well as politicians and government officials – who are involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The unprecedented presidential order was the most significant move ever made by an American administration against the settlements in the West Bank.
The first round of sanctions a month and a half ago included four settlers who were involved in attacks on Palestinians and who the US government claimed systematically carried out actions that led to the displacement of Palestinians from their land.
Since the first round of American sanctions, Great Britain, France, and Canada have also announced similar sanctions against settlers.
Between the lines
The initial reaction of the Israeli government and the Yesha Council to the American sanctions at the beginning of February was extremely mild in view of the fact that many in Israel saw it as a purely symbolic move.
However, within a few days, Israeli banks also announced that they were freezing the bank accounts of the settlers against whom American sanctions had been imposed.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Israeli banks not to implement the American sanctions and even ordered the Ministry of Finance to examine how these sanctions can be circumvented.
Under pressure from the settlement lobby, Prime Minister Netanyahu protested to President Biden about the new American sanctions during a phone call between them a few weeks ago.
Biden told Netanyahu in the same conversation that the US intends to continue to act against settlers who are involved in attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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