US sanctions Israeli settler group and settlement outposts over West Bank violence

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Monday, November 18, 2024

The United States imposed sanctions on the Israeli group Amana for aiding unauthorized settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank on Monday, November 18, 2024. The sanctions, announced by the United States Department of the Treasury, target activities seen as contributing to regional instability and undermining prospects for peace. ^[Source]

According to the Department of Treasury and the State Department, the latest sanctions focus on Amana (organization) along with its subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amena Ltd., a private company heavily involved in the expansion of Israeli settlement and the establishment of illegal Israeli outpost in the West Bank. ^[Source] While Amana has not been accused of directly committing violence, it has been sanctioned for its connections to individuals and groups that are linked to violent activities in the region. ^[Source] Amana had previously been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and Canada for comparable activities. ^[Source]

These sanctions block Americans from conducting transactions with Amana and freeze its assets within the U.S. financial system. ^[Source] Critics, including David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, argue that the sanctions interfere in domestic Israeli zoning policies, undermining Israel’s right to self-governance. They claim that the West Bank, often referred to as Judea and Samaria, holds historical and biblical significance, legitimising Jewish settlement in these areas. ^[Source]

In a broader move, the U.S. State Department also imposed diplomatic sanctions on Eyal Hari Yehuda Co., a supplier of logistical support to the sanctioned groups, and its owner, Itamar Yehuda Levi. ^[Source] Additionally, Shabtai Koshlevsky, a co-founder of the already sanctioned nonprofit group Hashomer Yosh, and Zohar Sabah, an Israeli citizen accused of involvement in violent acts against Palestinians, were added to the sanctions list. ^[Source]

According to the U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, Amana was described as the largest organization engaged in settlement and illegal outpost development, ^[Source] highlighting the U.S.’s call for the Israeli government to hold accountable those responsible for Israeli settler violence, forced displacement, and land dispossession. ^[Source]

The sanctions are part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to address extremist violence and its impact on regional security, ^[Source] amid growing pressure from U.S. lawmakers to take stronger action against those contributing to instability in the West Bank. ^[Source]

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