As the clock winds down on Joe Biden’s presidency, his administration has implemented a fresh round of sanctions targeting Israeli extremists involved in violence against Palestinians and destabilizing the West Bank.
However, these sanctions may be short-lived if Donald Trump or his appointees choose to lift them upon his return to the White House in January.
The Treasury and State departments recently announced sanctions against Amana, identified as “the largest organization involved in settlement and illegal outpost development in the West Bank.”
In addition to Amana, two other entities and three Israeli individuals have been added to the sanctions list for their actions deemed detrimental to efforts to protect Palestinian civilians and stabilize the West Bank.
The sanctions involve a U.S. travel ban and extensive financial restrictions worldwide.
According to the State Department, Amana has supported the Israeli settlement movement by engaging in the dispossession of private land owned by Palestinians. Amana has established numerous settler outposts, considered illegal under Israeli law, using tactics like deploying flocks of sheep to assert Jewish control over land patches. Its leader, Ze’ev “Zambish” Hever, was previously sanctioned by the UK and Canada and was briefly imprisoned in the 1980s for his involvement in an extremist group.
The State Department urged the Israeli government to take action against those responsible for violence, forced displacement, and land dispossession. The United States will continue to push for accountability for those who contribute to destabilizing conditions in the West Bank and support extremist violence in the region.
The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Israeli extremists multiple times this year as part of its efforts to calm tensions in the West Bank. However, there is pressure to sanction far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Trump, who has expressed support for Israel in its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah, could bring a shift in U.S. policy upon his return to power. This includes potential changes in U.S. support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
David Friedman, a Trump ally and former ambassador to Israel, criticized the latest sanctions, calling them interference in an internal Israeli zoning issue and disregarding the legal right of Jews to live in their Biblical homeland.
Friedman tweeted, “This is as ridiculous as Israel trying to prohibit an American builder from constructing homes in California. January 20 can’t come soon enough.”