U.S. & E.U SANCTION BEN GVIR ALLY ISRAELI ULTRA-RIGHT GROUPS & MILITARY BATTALION
April 21, 2024The U.S. yesterday imposed sanctions against Ben-Zion (Benzi) Gopstein, an extremist settler who is the founder and leader of « Lehava » and ally of Itmar Ben Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister, as part of a raft of sanctions passed by the European Union and America against groups, military personnel and individuals in Israel.
The US State Department released a statement saying that « Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas. »
An article publised in Axios explained the move matters because « it targets an extremist settler who is part of the inner circle of an Israeli cabinet member (Ben Gvir).
Ben Gvir said in a statement that the crackdown by the U.S. and the EU on Lehava and on the settlers who were blacklisted are « part of a blood libel of antisemitic Israel hating elements. I call on the Western countries to stop cooperating with these antisemites and stop the witch hunt against these settlers. »
The US is also set to impose sanctions on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, marking the first time Washington has taken such action against an Israeli military unit.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce the sanctions in the coming days.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the sanctions will include a ban on the transfer of U.S. military aid to the battalion and restrictions on its members’ participation in training activities funded by the United States. These measures are based on a 1997 law authored by former Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, which prohibits US assistance to foreign security forces implicated in human rights abuses.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the U.S. initiative, denouncing it as absurd and morally bankrupt.
**THIS IS FAR TOO LITTLE AND SHOULD NOT ONLY BE RESERVED TO THOSE MENTIONED ABOVE BUT THE ENTIRE ISRAELI CABINET AND ALL IDF PERSONNEL!
We CALL on ALL GOVERNMENTS to SANCTION and REFER to the ICC NETANYAHU AND HIS ENTIRE CABINET and MILITARY LEADERSHIP!**
@timesofisrael @axios @politico @haaretz
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