U.S. Sanctions Israelis in the West Bank

The Biden administration placed sanctions on an Israeli nonprofit and a Jewish West Bank settlement security official on Wednesday, accusing them of extremist violence against Palestinians.

The sanctions are against:

• Hashomer Yosh (Guardians of Judea and Samaria), a nongovernmental organization that provides support to Israeli West Bank security outposts, guarding farms in Judea and Samaria
• Yitzhak Levi Filant, the chief security officer for the Yitzhar settlement in the northern West Bank

This is the sixth batch of sanctions the Biden administration has issued against Israeli West Bank settlements, arguing that their occupation is illegal and causes violence.

Violence: Last week, over 100 extremists rampaged the West Bank Palestinian village of Jit. The rioters set fire to at least four homes and six vehicles. One Palestinian was shot and killed, and another was wounded.

The Israel Defense Forces and border police responded to the violence and took the Israelis away.

In the United States State Department’s press release on Wednesday, department spokesperson Matthew Miller said:

Extremist settler violence in the West Bank causes intense human suffering, harms Israel’s security, and undermines the prospect for peace and stability in the region. It is critical that the government of Israel hold accountable any individuals and entities responsible for violence against civilians in the West Bank.

But there was no connection between the violence in Jit and those that were sanctioned on Wednesday.

Ownership: Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War, but many Palestinians say it is part of their independent state. Many believe Israelis do not have the right to live there.

To learn more, read “Who Has the Historical Right to the Holy Land?”