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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured on October 28, denounced reports of US government plans to sanction Israeli military forces over alleged abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank.
CNN —
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers have harshly criticized reports of US plans to sanction Israeli military forces for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The allegations allegedly involve members of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Netza Yehuda battalion in the occupied West Bank. The battalion was created in 1999 and is made up of religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews. They preceded the October 7 Hamas-led offensive.
“No sanctions should be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces!” Prime Minister Netanyahu posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
“In recent weeks, I have opposed the imposition of sanctions against Israeli citizens, including in conversations with senior U.S. government officials. The intent to impose this is the height of absurdity and is morally the lowest.
“The government I lead will use every means possible to counter these moves,” Netanyahu added.
Reports of possible sanctions come as Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday that violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank will increase in 2023, reaching its highest level since 2006. It was announced that the This was the case even before the Hamas-led attack. HRW said on October 7, citing UN data.
Tensions over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza have spilled over into the West Bank. Since October 7, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 483 Palestinians on the ground, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had decided whether to cut funding to certain Israeli security forces in response to reports of human rights abuses committed before October 7. He did not specify Netza Yehuda’s name.
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“The Netza Yehuda battalion is an integral part of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subject to military law and has a responsibility to operate in full compliance with international law,” said Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet. He posted to X on Saturday.
Israel “has and will continue to have a strong and independent judicial system that meticulously evaluates allegations of violations or deviations from IDF orders and codes of conduct,” Gantz said. “While we are very grateful to our American friends, the decision to impose sanctions on IDF forces and their soldiers sets a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our common enemy in wartime… intends to act to change this decision.”
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “The US decision to impose sanctions on the IDF while Israel is fighting for survival is completely insane.”
The IDF said over the weekend that soldiers from the Netza Yehuda Battalion in the Gaza Strip were “conducting operations professionally and bravely, in accordance with the IDF Code of Ethics and in full compliance with international law.”
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pictured on the Italian island of Capri, told reporters on April 19 that any investigation into the allegations must be conducted “very carefully.”
“Reports regarding sanctions against the Netza Yehuda Battalion are not currently known to the IDF. Should such a decision be made on this matter, the consequences will be considered. I am committed to continuing to investigate these incidents professionally and in accordance with the law.”
Mr. Blinken said investigations into the allegations “will take time,” adding that they “must be very careful both in gathering and analyzing the facts.”
“And that’s exactly what we did. And I think it’s safe to say the results will be immediate. I’ve made the decision that I’ll be seeing them in the next few days. We can expect that,” he told reporters in Italy on Friday.
Mr. Blinken gave no indication of what his resolve was or whether the United States would actually stop funding these troops.
