US president Joe Biden instructed elder officials in the White home to prepare a list of sanctions, including visa bans, for “extremist Israeli settlers pushing Palestinians out of the West Bank” – writes Politico, citing interior documentation.
The directive, sent to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen and another ministers on 17 November, orders them to “develop options for fast action against those liable for force in the West Bank”. origin Politico, a high-ranking American official, reported the publication's content on the evening of November 18, shortly after Biden published in The Washington Post op-ed announcing sanctions.
The directive reflects Biden's desire to show support to Palestinian civilians, even despite Israel's "strong defence" consequence to Hamas and Democrats' demands for military assistance to Israeli allies," Politico notes.
The Directive defines who should be subject to sanctions — persons and organisations who:
‘directly or indirectly engage in activities or policies that endanger the safety or stableness of the West Bank’.
‘terrorize the civilian population in the West Bank to enforce resettlement’,
"Human rights violations and actions that importantly impede or undermine efforts" to resolve the conflict are committed.
The paper notes that Biden sees the issue of settlers' force as a "serious threat" to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, creating a hazard of destabilising the full mediate East.
Source Politico claims that the decision to issue the directive was taken after an "intense debate" involving national safety advisor Jake Sullivan. The White home refused to comment on the content of the document.
Israeli settlers have settled in the West Bank of Jordan for years, but force increased there much about a year ago erstwhile Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power, notes Politico. “This long-term problem increased after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7,” says the publication.
The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din claims that since this attack 197 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank. According to the UN, at least 121 Palestinian families – around 1,150 people, including 452 children – were displaced as a consequence of Israeli settlers' violence, and their force against Palestinians increased from 3 (early 2023) to 7 per day. A consortium for the defence of the West Bank of Jordan reports that in 2023 11 Palestinian communities were completely abandoned due to displacement, of which six after the Hamas attack on Israel.
Biden has repeatedly condemned the expanding force in the West Bank, blaming it for “extremistic settlers” and accusing them of “throwing gasoline into fire”. "They attack Palestinians where Palestinians have the right to stay, and this must end. They must be held accountable," said the president of the United States in October.
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Biden orders sanctions for attacks on Palestinians:
