On Thursday, President Biden issued an executive order targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank responsible for attacking Palestinians.
The order imposes financial sanctions and visa bans on four individuals involved in acts of violence, threats, or attempts to seize Palestinian property.
Sanctions include restrictions on using the U.S. financial system and prohibit American citizens from engaging with them. The four individuals, identified by the State Department as Israeli settlers, have a history of attacking Palestinians.
The move comes amid heightened tensions during the Israel-Hamas conflict, with ongoing evaluations to potentially sanction others involved in such attacks.
Palestinian authorities report casualties, while rights groups cite incidents of settler violence, including the torching of cars and attacks on Bedouin communities, leading to evacuations.
“These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom,” Mr. Biden stated in an order. “They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.”
The president is receiving increased criticism for supporting Israel strongly amid rising casualties in the conflict, initiated by a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. President Biden, despite affirming Israel’s right to self-defense, has urged Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government to exercise more restraint in military operations against Hamas.
Biden condemned retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers, vowing accountability for those responsible and characterizing such actions as exacerbating tensions in the Middle East.
The administration’s move includes sanctions on settlers engaged in violence, with a focus on avoiding impact on U.S. citizens, including dual citizens among West Bank settlers.
U.S. lawmakers, notably Sen. Ben Cardin, have called for actions against American involvement in settler violence, including potential criminal charges and financial sanctions.
Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin told reporters on Thursday that “there has got to be a strong message against the extreme activities taken by some settlers on the West Bank, jeopardizing the lives of Palestinians as well as the peace in the region.”
Politico was the first to report on Mr. Biden’s order. There are no plans to penalize far-right Israeli ministers who have supported the actions of Israeli settlers and called for settlement expansion.
The executive order coincides with Mr. Biden’s visit to Michigan, where he seeks support from union members in a crucial battleground state.
The president faces criticism from Arab and Muslim leaders for his handling of the conflict with Hamas, raising concerns among some Democrats about its potential impact on the November election.
The president’s campaign team has observed signs of a growing rift with Michigan’s Arab American community. Last week, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez encountered reluctance from community leaders to meet with her in suburban Detroit.
Some individuals, displeased with Biden’s Israel policy, are actively discouraging voters from supporting him in the general election.
In December, the State Department announced travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers involved in recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. While specific individuals were not named, officials stated that the bans would apply to “dozens” of settlers and their families, with more to follow if the violence persists.
