The United States government is reportedly preparing to announce sanctions on a battalion of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) over alleged human rights violations committed against Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled West Bank. The punitive measures against the Netzah Yehuda battalion, a fighting force made up of ultra-orthodox Jews that has been linked to past incidents of extremism, marks the first time the US has imposed sanctions on or withheld aid from a unit of the Israeli military.
First reported by Axios, government sources have indicated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce the sanctions in the coming days after months of consideration—beginning long before the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel.
Under the 1997 Leahy law, the United States is prohibited from providing military aid or Department of Defense training programs to any foreign security, military, or police units credibly accused of violating human rights.
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
The Netzah Yehuda battalion, also known as the 97th Battalion of the Kfir Infantry Brigade, was founded in 1999 in coordination with a panel of rabbis to open a path for Orthodox Jewish communities and other religious nationalist groups to enlist in the IDF without violating the strict precepts of their faith. Special accommodations within the group allow for time to pray and study scripture, while also limiting the all-male unit’s interaction with female military personnel.
Over the two-and-a-half decades since its founding, Netzah Yehuda has primarily operated around the cities of Ramallah and Jenin in the West Bank, recruiting heavily among members of the “Hilltop Youth,” an ultra-nationalist Jewish movement that establishes unsanctioned settlements in the West Bank in an effort to expel Palestinian residents.
As The Times of Israel reported, “the battalion has been at the center of several controversies in the past connected to right-wing extremism and violence against Palestinians,” including an incident in 2022 when a 78-year-old Palestinian-American was detained at an IDF checkpoint, then abandoned handcuffed, blindfolded, and gagged in near-freezing conditions. The man, identified as Omar Assad, died of a stress-induced heart attack a short time later.
The IDF concluded that his death was the result of “moral failure and poor decision-making” by members of the Netzah Yehuda battalion. The unit commander was reprimanded and two officers were dismissed over the incident, but no criminal charges were pursued against anyone involved.
Later that year, the battalion was relocated to the Golan Heights after several other violent encounters with Palestinian civilians. Since October of last year, the unit has also been deployed to Gaza to assist in the war with Hamas. The IDF has maintained that Netzah Yehuda is an active part of the war effort and operates fully within international law.
Related: UN Demands Israeli Settlers Cease Attacks on Palestinians in West Bank
However, given that these actions allegedly took place before the war began in Gaza, the US may still opt to sanction the unit. On Friday, during a press conference in Italy, Secretary Blinken seemed to confirm that some kind of retributive action is imminent, stating that “you can expect to see [sanctions] in the days ahead.”
However, White House officials speaking with Axios refuted the notion of impending sanctions, clarifying that the Leahy Act would only restrict the flow of security assistance.
“We are not and have not been considering sanctioning units in the IDF,” an unnamed official told the outlet. “Without confirming what may be under consideration, under the Leahy Act, certain units would be ineligible for American security assistance until the violations are remedied.”
In response to the news, Israeli officials were quick to criticize the US government and pledged to fight any action taken against IDF members.
“The IDF must not be sanctioned!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X. “I’ve been working in recent weeks against the sanctioning of Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with the American administration. At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to issue sanctions against a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low.”
אסור להטיל סנקציות על צבא ההגנה לישראל!
**
אני פועל בשבועות האחרונים נגד הטלת סנקציות על אזרחים ישראלים, כולל בשיחות שלי עם בכירי הממשל האמריקני.בשעה שחיילינו נלחמים במפלצות הטרור, הכוונה להטיל סנקציה על יחידה בצה״ל זה שיא האבסורד ושפל ערכי.
הממשלה בראשותי תפעל בכל האמצעים…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2024
On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited members of the Netzah Yehuda battalion to reiterate the government’s support for the unit, telling them, “No one in the world can teach us about values and morals. The security apparatus is behind you.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
Add comment