Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes any potential sanctions on Israeli military units accused of rights violations, following reports from a US media outlet suggesting such actions were being considered.
According to the US-based Axios news site, Washington is considering imposing sanctions on Israel’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which has been active in the occupied West Bank. However, the Israeli military has stated that they are not aware of any impending measures.
The targeted unit, Netzah Yehuda, was established around twenty-five years ago to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the military, as reported by Israeli media.
Recently, the US announced a fresh round of sanctions related to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, signaling growing frustration with Netanyahu’s policies, particularly his reliance on settler parties within the coalition government.
Netanyahu declared, “I will vigorously oppose any attempts to sanction a unit of the Israeli army,” in a statement released on Sunday.
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz reached out to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging a reconsideration of the situation, emphasizing that such sanctions would be detrimental to Israel’s legitimacy during a time of conflict.
Blinken mentioned that determinations had been made regarding allegations of Israeli violations of US laws prohibiting military aid to entities committing severe human rights violations. Investigations are ongoing under the law prohibiting assistance to foreign security units engaging in human rights abuses with impunity.
He hinted at imminent results, stating, “I’ve made determinations; you can expect to see them in the days ahead.”
Original from www.aljazeera.com