State Department Sanctions 3 More Israeli Settlers Over ‘Extremist Violence’ Against Palestinians

The Jewish settlement of Halamish, west of Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 27, 2017. Abbas Momani/AFP via Getty Images

The Biden administration’s State Department has sanctioned three Israeli settlers and two outposts accused of harassing and attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, marking the second round of sanctions against Israelis accused of “extremist violence.”

The State Department identified the settlers as Zvi Bar Yosef, Moshe Sharvit, and Neriya Ben Pazi in a March 14 statement.

All three are being sanctioned pursuant to President Joe Biden’s executive order “to promote accountability for individuals and entities associated with actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank,” officials said.

“The United States continues to take action against those who undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, which undermine the national security and foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution, ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom, and reducing the risk of regional destabilization,” the state department said.

“There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, race, or religion,” the department added.

According to officials, Mr. Yosef “engaged in repeated violence and attempts to engage in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank” while Mr. Sharvit “repeatedly harassed, threatened, and attacked Palestinian civilians and Israeli human rights defenders” in the vicinity of Moshes Farm, an outpost in the West Bank.

Settlers ‘Threatened, Attacked’ Residents

Mr. Sharvit also threatened residents of the Palestinian village of Ein Shibli, ordering them to leave their homes while armed; resulting in up to 100 Palestinian civilians fleeing their village in fear for their lives, the State Department said.

Mr. Pazi “expelled Palestinian shepherds from hundreds of acres of land,” officials said. He, along with other settlers, also attacked Palestinians near the village of Wadi as-Seeq, according to the department.

Among the two entities sanctioned is Zvis Farm, which is owned by Mr. Yosef and is allegedly used “as a base from which he perpetrates violence against Palestinians and prevents local Palestinian farmers from accessing and using their lands,” according to the State Department.

Moshes Farm, the other entity to be sanctioned was owned and founded by Mr. Sharvit in 2021. He is accused of using the outpost as a “base from which he perpetrates violence against Palestinians.”

The new sanctions authorize Washington to seize any property or assets the three individuals hold within the United States.

Threat to Wider Middle East Region

Any property or assets belonging to the individuals that are currently held by U.S. persons will also be reported to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. It is not clear what impact the sanctions will have as it is uncertain if any of the settlers or their farms have assets in U.S. jurisdictions.

The latest round of sanctions comes after President Biden declared a national emergency over the situation in the West Bank in February, citing “high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction” which he said had reached “intolerable levels” and constitutes a “serious threat” to security and stability in the wider Middle East region.

While declaring the emergency, President Biden also sanctioned four Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians.

In December, the U.S. leader announced visa restrictions for Israeli citizens—viewed as “extremist”—attempting to enter the United States.

Attacks in the West Bank—which is home to roughly 3 million people and has long been a disputed territory among Palestinians and Israelis—have increased in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group.

Responding to the latest round of sanctions, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media platform X that “sanctions on settlers is further proof that the U.S. administration does not understand who is an enemy and who is its supporter.”

“The settlers are the best of our sons who build, settle, and bring security to the country, they deserve a salute not a knife in the back,” he added.

Netanyahu Says US Sanctions ‘Unnecessary’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier called President Biden’s new executive order targeting Israeli settlers “unnecessary.” “The overwhelming majority of residents in Judea and Samaria are law-abiding citizens, many of whom are currently fighting—as conscripts and reservists—to defend Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu’s office said in a press statement on Feb. 1. “Judea and Samaria” is a term commonly used in Israeli society to refer to the area encompassing the West Bank.

“Israel acts against all Israelis who break the law, everywhere,” the statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office continues. “Therefore, exceptional measures are unnecessary.”

The Associated Press and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.