US Imposes Sanctions on Israeli Settlers Allegedly Contributing to West Bank Violence
The U.S. government has urged Israel to hold West Bank settler activists accountable for violence and the forced displacement of Palestinians in the region.
The U.S. State and Treasury departments have imposed new sanctions on November 18, targeting Israeli settler activists who are accused of perpetuating violence in the contested West Bank.
The individuals named by the State Department are Itamar Yehuda Levi, Shabtai Koshlevsky, and Zohar Sabah.
Levi is identified as the owner of Eyal Hari Yehuda Company Ltd., a company accused of aiding in the expansion of various Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including the U.S.-sanctioned Meitarim Farm project. The company is also linked to other entities previously sanctioned by the United States, and as of Monday, Eyal Hari Yehuda Company is facing new U.S. sanctions designations.
The State Department stated that Sabah has been involved in targeting Palestinians and their homes in the West Bank through violence and destruction. Sabah was also allegedly part of a settler attack on the Al-Ka’abneh elementary school in Jericho in September, resulting in injuries to several Palestinians at the school.
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The Treasury Department highlighted that Amana has connections to various individuals previously sanctioned by the U.S. government for engaging in violence in the West Bank.
“The settlers and farms supported by Amana are crucial in the development of settlements in the West Bank, which in turn leads to settler violence. Amana strategically utilizes farming outposts, supported through financing, loans, and infrastructure development, to expand settlements and capture land,” according to the Treasury Department.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank have long been a contentious issue in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, with critics arguing that these settlements encroach increasingly on land claimed by the Palestinian people and hinder efforts towards a two-state solution.
Many countries view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as inconsistent with international law. In 2019, the first Trump administration departed from the previously held U.S. position that the settlements violate international law. The Biden administration has since stated that the settlements are contrary to international law.
The new round of sanctions comes with just weeks left before Trump returns to the White House.
Some Israeli settler activists have expressed hope that Trump’s return will strengthen their efforts to claim territory in the West Bank.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
