The Biden Regime Relaxes Sanctions On Extremist Israeli Settlers

The Cradle reported that the United States has sharply relaxed several sanctions it slapped on 7 violent Israeli settlers. It has done so by letting them use their accounts at Israeli banks, per a report published by Israel Hayom reported on March 29, 2024. These US sanctions were originally designed to castigate  the settlers for committing acts of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In effect, the sanctions have been rendered toothless.

The US Treasury sent a letter to Israel’s finance ministry making it clear that Israel is not mandated to bar the sanctioned settlers from carrying out routine activities from. their bank accounts.

Earlier in March, The Atlantic magazine made a reference to the sanctions as President Biden’s “doomsday option” against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the extremist base of his coalition government.

However, Israel Hayom reported that the US announcement does virtually nothing to the settlers because freezing the bank accounts of the seven individuals was the only step that practically affected them in any way.

The sanctions continue to bar the settlers from doing any financial transactions with American banks or traveling to the US. However, it’s largely assumed that they do not own assets in the US and have no intention of traveling there.

The US Treasury letter came two weeks following Finance Minister Smotrich’s announcement that he would not restore the Israeli state’s agreement to provide compensation banks in Israel that maintain relations with financial entities connected to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Israel Hayom also reported that Smotrich chose to not renew his signature on a document that shields the Israeli banks, Discount and Hapoalim, from lawsuits, both which have financial connections to Palestinian banks.

Without this safeguard, the Israeli banks were expected to break ties with the Palestinian banks, out of fear that they would be susceptible to international lawsuits on the charge of facilitating the transfer of funds to terrorists.

Since the PA’s economy is largely dependent on its relationship with Israel, this would potentially bring about an instant freeze in economic activity in the West Bank, which the PA controls.

Israel Hayom also pointed out that the Biden regime relaxed the sanctions on the settlers as a response to Smotrich’s threat.

Overall, it seems that Israel still calls the shots no matter what the US government does. Indeed, the US should not sanction Israel or Israelis.

However, by no means should the US bend over backwards to Israel nor supply it with military aid or give it blanket security guarantees to cover for its geopolitical misdeeds.

Again, it bears repeating. Non-intervention must come out on top here. The US can’t afford to get involved in another war in the Middle East. 

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