The president of the United States, Joe Biden, signed an unprecedented decree this Thursday against Israeli settlers for their participation in attacks in the occupied territory of the West Bank.
It is the most forceful measure against citizens of the country approved by a US government and occurs amid Biden's growing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who governs in alliance with religious nationalism, the spearhead of the colonization movement), for his rejection of the creation of a Palestinian State to resolve the Middle East conflict.
At the moment, the rule imposes financial sanctions and visa bans on four people who participated in acts of violence against Palestinians or Israeli activists, as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize their property.
The sanctions are intended to prevent them from using the US financial system and prohibit its citizens from dealing with them.
The decree also opens the door to sanctioning more people who participate directly or indirectly in violent actions or threats against Palestinian citizens (thousands of whom also have American nationality) or damage their property.
In the text they are defined as “terrorist actions.”
Among the first four sanctioned are David Chai Chasdai, for leading an attack on the Palestinian town of Huwara in which a Palestinian was killed and dozens of settlers burned numerous houses and cars, and Einan Tanjil, for attacking Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists with stones and bats.
Another, Shalom Zicherman, was recorded attacking Israeli activists and their vehicles.
He is charged.
The fourth, Yinon Levi, has frequently led groups of settlers to intimidate Palestinians, mainly Bedouins, from a nearby farm-settlement, a means of taking land that has been gaining weight in recent years.
None have American nationality.
Settler attacks on Palestinians have multiplied since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the start of the war in Gaza.
They are close to half a thousand, with eight dead, according to data from the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office.
“Regional destabilization”
“These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring that Israelis and Palestinians can achieve the same levels of security, prosperity, and freedom,” says the order signed by Biden. .
“They also undermine Israel's security and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization throughout the Middle East, threatening US personnel and interests,” he adds.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has regretted the White House's decision.
In a statement released by his office, he assures that his country already "acts against all those who violate the law anywhere, so no unusual measures are necessary in this matter."
Furthermore, he emphasizes that “the vast majority of those who have settled in Judea and Samaria [biblical and official name of the West Bank] are law-abiding citizens” and “many of them fight these days as regular forces or reservists in the defense of Israel".
His Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, linked to the settler movement, has reacted more harshly: “The 'settler violence' campaign is an anti-Semitic lie spread by Israel's enemies [...] It is a shame that the Biden Government cooperates with her".
Between 2005 and June 2021, 92% of investigations into these types of crimes were closed without charges and only 3% ended in conviction, according to Yesh Din (There is justice, in Hebrew), an Israeli human rights organization that follows the topic.
The NGO concludes, according to police data, that the number of accusations against Israelis for harming people is six times lower if the victim is Palestinian.
In the West Bank, being a militarily occupied territory, Palestinians are subject to military legislation, while the around 500,000 Jewish settlers who live there are judged according to the country's civil regulations, as Israeli citizens.
Biden signed the decree on the same day that he plans to travel to Michigan, the state in the country with the largest Arab population.
The president goes there to give a rally after receiving the support of the motor union, United Auto Workers, but he arrives in a territory where he has been widely criticized for his support for Israel.
The president has promised that those responsible for the violence will be held accountable.
In late October he declared that the violence of “extremist settlers” amounted to “pouring gasoline” on the already burning fires of the Middle East.
“It has to end.
They have to be held accountable.
It has to end now,” he stated.
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