Trump lifts US sanctions on Israeli residents in the occupied West Bank Official West Bank News
Israeli officials welcomed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions imposed by the Biden administration.
United States President Donald Trump has issued an executive order lifting sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Trump issued this order amid several controversial steps as soon as he returned to the White House on Monday. These restrictions were imposed by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, through an executive order in February.
Biden’s actions paved the way for the US State Department and Treasury to impose sanctions on several far-right individuals and groups accused of carrying out violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 despite international law. Have had their US assets seized and sanctioned. US entities and persons having business relations with them.
As much of the world’s attention focuses on the war in Gaza, increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and land grabs in the occupied territory has raised concerns among some of Israel’s Western allies.
On Monday and Tuesday, settlers set fire to vehicles and property protected by Israeli soldiers. At least 21 Palestinians were reported injured.
At least 860 Palestinians, including 175 children, have been killed and more than 6,700 injured in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
“Lifting sanctions on extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
‘America has returned as our friend’
Israeli officials welcomed Trump’s “historic decision” to reverse the sanctions.
According to Israeli media, Yossi Dagan, head of the Northern West Bank Settlements Council, said that reversing the “reprehensible sanctions” is “a political message that the United States has returned as our friend”.
Far-right former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X, “This is to justify years of injustice, in which distorted policies were pursued by the US administration and local elements that confused lovers with enemies.” ,
His aide, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said Trump’s stance reflects “his deep connection with the Jewish people and our historic right to our land.”
He said, “These sanctions were a serious act of blatant foreign interference in the internal affairs of the State of Israel and harmed the principles of democracy and mutual relations between the two friendly countries.”
US sanctions on settlers come as the Biden administration repeatedly urged the Israeli government to take action to hold settlers accountable for actions that Washington believes have fueled conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. -Hopes of state solution have been dealt a blow.
Since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which the Palestinians want as an independent state. Israel has built settlements there, which are illegal under international law.
Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land.
