(NewsInsights.org) – President Joe Biden and State Department officials have quietly focused diplomatic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for several weeks to exercise greater restraint in his nation’s response to the October 7 Hamas attack to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties while publicly supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. On Thursday, February 1, Biden issued an executive order (EO) with economic sanctions and visa bans, targeting West Bank Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians.
The president explained that “high levels of extremist settler violence” had “reached intolerable levels,” creating “a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability” of not only the West Bank and Gaza but the entire Middle East region. Biden claimed the destabilizing influence threatened US personnel and regional interests and required a proactive response.
The EO allows the Secretaries of State and the Treasury to work cooperatively to determine which individuals to add to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. Banks and businesses must block transactions for any US firms or properties owned by individuals placed on the SDN list. The State Department also issued a fact sheet on Thursday listing the first four individuals receiving sanctions from the administration.
The named individuals included David Chai Chasdai, Einan Tanjil, Shalom Zicherman, and Yinon Levi. Authorities accused Chasdai of causing the death of a Palestinian civilian after causing a riot, setting buildings and vehicles on fire, and assaulting Palestinian civilians. Tanjil stands accused of attacking and injuring Palestinian farmers and Israeli peace activists. Video evidence showed Zicherman attacking Israeli peace activists in their vehicles in the West Bank, resulting in injuries. Levi organized raiding parties that repeatedly attacked Palestinian farmers and Bedouins, burning their homes and fields and displacing them.
Based on the EO, curators of properties or holdings of the four individuals must report them to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and can no longer conduct business with or on behalf of the individuals or provide goods or funds to them.
As part of the EO, Biden declared a national emergency based on the security concerns associated with the ongoing disruptions in Gaza and the West Bank. He notified Congress of his actions in a formal message.
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