In a decisive move, US President Joe Biden has instructed top officials to prepare visa bans and sanctions targeting extremist Israeli settlers responsible for attacking and displacing Palestinians in the West Bank.
The directive, outlined in a Cabinet memo dispatched to key aides including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday, requires agencies to “develop policy options for expeditious action against those responsible for the conduct of violence in the West Bank.”
A senior US official, who disclosed sections of the memo on Saturday, emphasized that President Biden, in an op-ed published in The Washington Post, revealed his intentions to take action against extremists. “The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” wrote Biden.
This directive is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to demonstrate support for Palestinian civilians in need while maintaining a firm stance in defense of Israel’s actions against Hamas. Notably, members of the president’s party are pushing for conditions on military aid to the US ally.
The memo broadly defines the targets for reprimands, encompassing individuals or entities engaged in actions or policies threatening the security or stability of the West Bank. This includes those intimidating civilians with the aim of forcing displacement and perpetrating human rights abuses hindering efforts towards a two-state solution.
President Biden views the issue of settler violence as a “serious threat” to peace in the region and recognizes its potential to destabilize the Middle East. The decision to issue the directive followed intense debates on the topic, with national security adviser Jake Sullivan and deputy Jon Finer providing direct input during a dedicated internal process.
