The Biden administration announced sanctions on two West Bank settlements Thursday, marking the first time economic restrictions have been placed on entire Israeli outposts in the Palestinian territory.
The sanctions were issued because of acts of violence against civilians, the State Department said in a statement announcing the measures. “There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion,” the State Department said.
The two sanctioned settlements were listed as Moshes Farm, also known as Tirza Valley Farm Outpost, and Zvis Farm. Three Israeli citizens were also individually placed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s list of sanctioned entities: Zvi Bar Yosef, 31; Neriya Ben Pazi, 30; and Moshe Sharvit, 29.
All three men have been linked to violence against Palestinians in media reports. The State Department said Bar Yosef has engaged in “repeated violence and attempts to engage in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank,” while both Ben Pazi and Sharvit have used threats and violence to expel Palestinians from their land.
Four other Israeli settlers were placed on the sanctions list in February on grounds of links to violent acts.
“It is not possible for other countries to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and to damage their property rights without any basis,” Tzvi Sukkot, a Knesset member from the far-right Religious Zionist Party, told Israeli radio station 103FM on Thursday shortly after the announcement.
The sanctions were issued because of acts of violence against civilians, the State Department said in a statement announcing the measures. “There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion,” the State Department said.
The two sanctioned settlements were listed as Moshes Farm, also known as Tirza Valley Farm Outpost, and Zvis Farm. Three Israeli citizens were also individually placed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s list of sanctioned entities: Zvi Bar Yosef, 31; Neriya Ben Pazi, 30; and Moshe Sharvit, 29.
All three men have been linked to violence against Palestinians in media reports. The State Department said Bar Yosef has engaged in “repeated violence and attempts to engage in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank,” while both Ben Pazi and Sharvit have used threats and violence to expel Palestinians from their land.
Four other Israeli settlers were placed on the sanctions list in February on grounds of links to violent acts.
“It is not possible for other countries to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and to damage their property rights without any basis,” Tzvi Sukkot, a Knesset member from the far-right Religious Zionist Party, told Israeli radio station 103FM on Thursday shortly after the announcement.
