The United States is gearing up to impose sanctions on the Israeli Defense Forces battalion known as “Netzah Yehuda” for alleged human rights violations in the West Bank, as reported by Axios, citing reliable American sources.
If this unfolds, it will mark a significant milestone as it would be the first time the U.S. has taken such action against an Israeli military unit. The sanctions are expected to block the battalion and its members from receiving any form of American assistance, including military aid or training, in accordance with a 1997 law that prohibits support to units involved in human rights abuses.
According to a report by ProPublica, a special State Department commission had previously recommended to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to withhold American aid not only from “Netzah Yehuda” but also from other military and police units operating in the West Bank. The decision by Blinken, as disclosed by Axios, is said to be based on incidents predating the October attack by Hamas militants on Israeli soil.
Comprised solely of Orthodox Jewish men, “Netzah Yehuda” has come under intense scrutiny. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the proposed sanctions, particularly during a time when the IDF is actively combating Hamas, labeling it as “absurd and morally reprehensible.”
Renowned Israeli military analyst David Sharp has labeled the potential move by the State Department as “politically driven”:
“Following their opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the UN Security Council and their ongoing support for Israel, the U.S. may be seeking to demonstrate that they are not biased towards Israel.”
Source from theins.ru