The Biden administration imposed constraints on two organizations that fund extremist Israeli settlers and the individual behind an organization that frequently targets Palestinians.The Treasury Department said this as there has been a lot of violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank since the war in Gaza started.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu don’t get along. Netanyahu’s government is very conservative and has been very upset about sanctions against West Bank settlers.
The Friday sanctions include two groups – Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich – that are accused of collecting money for sanctioned settlers Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai.
Both men were punished by the Biden administration for hurting Palestinians in the West Bank.
The penalties are meant to stop them from using the US financial system and prevent American citizens from doing business with them.
The Mount Hebron Fund raised $140,000 and Shlom Asiraich for Chasdai raised $31,000 according to the US Treasury.
In Levi’s situation, the money approved by the Biden administration is connected to the local council in the area, which gets funding from the state. On Friday, President Biden’s order did not officially punish the council.
Rights groups say that illegal settlements in the West Bank are growing with the support of regional councils and the government of Israel, which is the most far-right in the country’s history.
Biden’s order did not punish fundraising websites like GiveChak and Charidy, where people donate money.
In Chasdai’s situation, a fundraiser was set up on Charidy by Shlom Asiraich to collect money for Jewish extremists who are in prison.
Both internet fundraisers have been removed. One of the fundraisers connected to a settler who was previously punished by the Biden administration, Moshe Sharvit, is still available online. By Friday, the GiveChak page had gathered more than $879,000.
Also, the State Department is identifying Ben-Zion Gopstein as the founder and leader of Lehava, a group whose members have attacked Palestinian people.
Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the groups are making it harder for the West Bank to be peaceful, secure, and stable. We will keep using our tools to make sure the people responsible are held accountable.
In February, Biden made a rule to focus on Israeli people living in the West Bank. They have been accused of hurting Palestinians and peace activists in that area.
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US sanctions fundraisers for West Bank settlers who target Palestinians
