On Feb. 1, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Israeli settler Yinon Levi, locking him out of the international economic system and spurring Israeli banks to freeze his accounts.
The State Department accused Levi of leading fellow Israeli settlers in the West Bank — occupied Palestinian territory claimed by Israel — in attacking Palestinians, destroying their property and driving them from their villages. Levi was little-known internationally, but video and press reports appeared to show him engaging in brutality the U.S. had said it would punish. (Levi denied wrongdoing and said he was never involved in an attack.)
Now his case is drawing additional attention as potential proof a new executive order from President Joe Biden could help de-escalate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by undercutting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which would be the heart of any future Palestinian state.
Levi is one of four Israelis sanctioned under the new order, which allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on individuals and entities linked to violence in the West Bank – reprimands which have a sweeping effect because the policy states that once they are imposed, any banks or other entities that do business with them could face U.S. sanctions themselves. It gives the government new powers to halt the flow of hundreds of millions in tax-exempt dollars from U.S. nonprofits to settlers seeking to displace Palestinians, and to put massive pressure on the Israeli government to alter its settlement policy.
The Biden administration will sanction more individuals under the order soon, finalizing its decision in the coming days, a U.S. official told HuffPost. The official said the sanctions will be similar to the first round and will be agreed upon following a meeting of the National Security Council’s deputies committee next week. (A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the revelation.)
The additional step will follow another striking shift on settlers from the U.S. On…
Read the full article here
