Israeli leaders reacted sharply to reports that the U.S. State Department plans to impose sanctions on a minimum of one unit of the Israeli military for alleged human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “absurd” the concept that it will act to forestall it.
The fierce condemnation got here just hours after Israeli officials welcomed AND two-party vote by Congress approving billions of dollars in aid for Israel, underscoring the dramatic swings and contradictions which have characterised the recent relationship between President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Biden each chided Netanyahu for the civilian deaths in Gaza and got here to Israel’s aid in repelling an attack by Iran earlier this month.
Any US sanctions against the Israeli military – reported by the news site Axios – might be announced in the coming days – could be unprecedented, nevertheless.
Netanyahu said sanctions against the Israeli military could be “the height of absurdity and the lowest moral level” at a time when Israeli forces are fighting a war in Gaza against Hamas, which the United States and lots of other countries classify as a terrorist organization.
– added conservative Netanyahu on social media post late Saturday that his government would “use all measures” against such a move, which – said Axios will give attention to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion.
The battalion that was accused of violent incidents against Palestinians, was established for ultra-Orthodox men of Jewish origin whose strict observance of faith requires complete separation of the sexes. It also attracted other Orthodox soldiers, including hard-line nationalists from the West Bank settlement movement.
Israeli politicians in the government and parliamentary opposition have also expressed concern about any potential sanctions against the military. Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Netanyahu’s war cabinet and former military chief, said it will set a “dangerous precedent.”
“The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an integral part of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subject to military law and is responsible for acting in full compliance with international law,” he added in the post Saturday evening on X.
The Israeli military said it was not conversant in plans to impose sanctions on the battalion, but when such a choice was made, its consequences “would be reviewed.” In a press releaseHe added that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion is currently participating in the war effort in Gaza “courageously and professionally”, upholding military values and the principles of international law.
The Biden administration has targeted Israel amid rising levels of settler violence against Palestinians and anti-settler activists in the occupied West Bank, imposing financial and travel sanctions on several individuals and, most recently, two grassroots fundraising organizations for a few of these individuals.
US sanctions against the Israeli entity could possibly be seen as a kind of counterweight to months of criticism and anger directed at President Biden, even from inside his own party, over his support for Israel’s war in Gaza as the death toll in the country continues to rise. According to health officials in Gaza, greater than 34,000 Palestinians have died in six months of war.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken asked about ProPublica on Friday report that a State Department panel has really useful disqualifying many Israeli military and police units from receiving U.S. aid over allegations of human rights abuses, said such investigations take time but results will come “very quickly.”
“I even have made arrangements; you may expect them in the coming days,” he added.
Then Axios on Saturday reported that the Netzah Yehuda Battalion will face sanctions under the so-called 12 months 1997 Leahy’s law which prohibits foreign military units accused of committing human rights abuses from receiving U.S. aid or training. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The New York Times.
It was unclear what effect any sanctions would have on the unit because funding for specific Israeli units is difficult to track and the battalion does not receive U.S. training.
One of the most egregious episodes attributed to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion involved the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American who was detained, gagged and handcuffed by members of the unit during a night raid on his village in January 2022.
An autopsy revealed that the man, Omar Abdelmajed Assad, died of a stress-induced heart attack following injuries sustained during his detention. An investigation by Israel’s military justice system found misconduct by the soldiers involved, who the military said “behaved in a fashion inconsistent with the requirements and expectations” of Israeli soldiers.
Following an investigation, the Israeli military punished the unit’s three commanders. However, no criminal charges were brought against the soldiers because, as the military claimed at the time, no causal link had been found between the soldiers’ misconduct and Assad’s death.
Adam Rasgon, Nathan Odenheimer AND Gabby Sobelman reporting contributed.
