By Armin Sijamić
The United States has imposed sanctions on Israel, numerous media outlets reported. But behind this formulation lies something else - Washington is not punishing the government, but individuals who are not government officials, who were enabled by the government to do what they are being punished for. What is this all about?
Yesterday, American media reported that US President Joseph Biden decided to sanction four Israeli citizens for their actions in the occupied West Bank. Some called it an "unprecedented" case, especially at a time when a war is being waged in the Gaza Strip that has claimed more than 26,000 Palestinian lives, primarily civilians.
Disagreements between the two allies have occurred before, especially between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Biden, or his predecessors from the Democratic party. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, after the Palestinian group attacked Israel on October 7, the differences have become apparent. Some claimed that Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip was delayed due to the insistence of the American side. The White House explained this by saying they only offered advice.
How the clash between the two allies unfolded is less important than the fact that Netanyahu's war has destroyed Biden's international policy, further pitted him against Republicans at home, and caused a drop in popularity among a large segment of the US population.
November Elections and the Middle East
Biden announced the US sanctions on Israeli settlers in the state of Michigan as part of his efforts to win a second presidential term. This state is one of the so-called swing states, meaning it often gives its support to different parties and candidates. It is home to a large Arab and Muslim community that has criticized Biden's policy towards the Gaza Strip, and their votes could be a deciding factor, as Biden narrowly won four years ago.
Biden's campaign is targeting Dearborn and its mayor, Abdullah Hammoud. He stated on X that he refused to meet with the campaign manager. "I will not engage in election talk while we watch a live-streamed genocide with the support of our government," Hammoud stated.
Biden, explaining his decision, said that "the situation in the West Bank, particularly the high levels of violence by extremist settlers, the forced displacement of people and villages, and the destruction of property, has reached an intolerable level and poses a serious threat to peace, security, and stability."
The State Department detailed the decision, listing some of the acts attributed to those sanctioned – organizing riots, burning houses, cars, and agricultural properties, sowing fear, attacks on Palestinians resulting in death, as well as attacks on Israeli activists.
"Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, reports that settlers or Israeli forces have killed 197 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7. The United Nations reports that, in the same period, at least 121 Palestinian households, about 1,150 people, including 452 children, have been displaced due to settler violence," Politico reported in mid-November. These numbers have surely increased since then.
Biden has banned those sanctioned from entering the US, frozen their assets under US jurisdiction, and prohibited access to the US financial system.
Netanyahu did not like this move. His government stated that "the absolute majority of settlers in Judea and Samaria are law-abiding citizens, many of whom are currently fighting regularly in the reserves for the defense of Israel. Israel acts against all lawbreakers everywhere, so there is no room for exceptional measures in this regard."
What is striking is that Washington does not hold the Israeli authorities responsible for these actions by settlers, who are implementing the settlement policy in the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria as they call that area. This has been going on for decades and is well-documented. Settlers occupy land from Palestinians, and the state builds settlements and access roads, thus creating conditions for those who come to live there.
There are two ministers in the current Israeli government who particularly support this policy. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocate for settlement in the Gaza Strip as well. Although there were speculations that they too would be targeted by Biden's sanctions, this did not happen.
"There are no plans at this time to sanction Israeli government officials," said White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby, while Ben-Gvir described the settlers as heroes. "It is time for America to reconsider its policy in Judea and Samaria. President Biden is mistaken about the citizens of the State of Israel and the heroic settlers," Ben-Gvir said. "Those who are attacked, those who have been stoned in attempts to injure and kill them, are heroic settlers in Judea and Samaria," he added.
Palestinians will benefit little from these moves by Biden. Moreover, if Israel does not prevent the sanctioned individuals from continuing their actions, their terror could increase. However, this act by Biden, or rather, a mild criticism of Israeli policy, could signal other policies to come.
Ceasefire in Gaza and a Palestinian State
Netanyahu's war in the Gaza Strip has forced many Israeli allies to distance themselves from Tel Aviv. Some countries have severed diplomatic relations with Israel, some have recalled their ambassadors, and some have joined efforts to put the state on trial for genocide. Although the United States and the United Kingdom firmly stand by Israel, different tones have emerged in recent days.
In addition to Biden, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also spoke out, stating that London could recognize Palestine as a state once a ceasefire is established in the Gaza Strip. If this happens, it would be an epochal shift in the policy of official London, whose decisions over a hundred years ago created the circumstances that led Israelis and Palestinians to this position.
Voices are increasingly heard in the West that Israel will not succeed in its war in the Gaza Strip, although it is not entirely clear what Netanyahu wants. The declared intention to destroy Hamas is doomed to failure by the fact that its leaders live throughout the Middle East and that after the massacre in the Gaza Strip, it is difficult to find Palestinians who want to be controlled by Israel. At the same time, Israel is negotiating with Hamas through intermediaries, which is further proof that such a policy is strangely conceived.
How sincere Biden's and Cameron's intentions are is probably the most important question for many Palestinians. The US and the UK are deeply involved in Middle Eastern political processes, and there is no doubt that their word will be taken into account. Evidence of this came yesterday. In the shadow of Biden's sanctions, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a new ceasefire. Negotiations taking place far from the eyes of the people of Israel and Palestine could once again have the final say. The continuation of the war would mean a catastrophe for the Palestinians and further blows to the policies of Netanyahu and Biden.
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