US Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen cited a passage from a February executive order by US President Joe Biden, which targets individuals or entities engaged in actions that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank.
Van Hollen highlighted Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s reported attempts to block enforcement against illegal settlement construction and his withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority (PA).
He then asked US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf if these actions destabilize the West Bank.
Leaf concurred, prompting Van Hollen to question why the US has not sanctioned Smotrich. Leaf responded that the administration does not publicly discuss potential sanctions, thus ending the inquiry.
However, a US official disclosed to The Times of Israel that senior Biden aides have recently considered this step due to increasing concerns in Washington about the PA’s potential collapse.
Without the withheld tax revenues, Ramallah struggles to pay its employees.
Sanctioning an Israeli minister would be unprecedented, and the US official acknowledged it is unlikely.
However, the consideration underscores US worries about a possible PA collapse, which could lead to chaos in the West Bank and provide opportunities for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to create new conflicts.
A collapse could also derail US plans for postwar Gaza, where Washington envisions a reformed PA reuniting the West Bank and Gaza Strip, paving the way for a future Palestinian state.
