Washington, D.C. – Foreign Policy for America applauds the Biden administration’s imposition of additional sanctions against individuals and related entities involved in extremist settler violence in the West Bank. These actions demonstrate the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing the recent increase in attacks against Palestinian families living in the West Bank.
In February, President Biden issued an unprecedented executive order declaring a national security emergency in response to the high level of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction occurring in the West Bank. On the same day, Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced sanctions against four Israeli settlers.
Today’s order imposes sanctions against three more individuals as well as – for the first time ever – two outposts connected to individuals implicated in settler violence. These sanctions are on top of the visa restriction policy adopted by the Biden administration in December that targeted extremist settlers involved in undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank.
“With these new sanctions, the Biden administration has taken concrete and meaningful steps to combat the rise of harassment and violence against Palestinians living in the West Bank,” said Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of Foreign Policy for America. “Protecting civilians is critical to deescalating the situation and maintaining the viability of a two-state solution.”
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