Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he will fight against anyone who plans to impose sanctions on units of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) after reports surfaced that the US is planning to sanction other IDF and police units along with ultra-orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the IDF for alleged rights violations in the West Bank.
“If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit of the IDF — I will fight it with all my strength," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the Times of Israel, the Biden administration is also considering sanctions against other Israeli military and police units alleged to have committed human rights violations against Palestinians along with the Netzah Yehuda.
The Biden administration is expected to announce the Netzah Yehuda sanctions this week, a separate report by Axios said.
Their report also mentioned that the Netzah Yehuda was being probed for over a year by the State Department and the US officials questioned their counterparts in Israel that even though the battalion was moved out of the West Bank in 2022 to avoid further contact with Palestinians, why was it not probed and why actions were not taken for the repeated incidents of misconduct against Palestinians, while citing it as a reason for the sanctions.
The Times of Israel said that the impact of the sanctions, being brought under Leahy Law, may have limited impact as Israel can buy weapons for the battalion as it would be barred from using US military aid to purchase weapons for Netzah Yehuda.
The report also said that other Western nations could follow the US and target IDF’s other units for their alleged targeting of Palestinians.
Netzah Yehuda’s actions came under the spotlight following the 2022 death of Omar As’ad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American. Omar died after being detained, handcuffed, blindfolded and later abandoned in near-freezing conditions by soldiers of the battalion.
The US is mulling bringing other battalions of the IDF and some police units because it has taken note of the flood of videos that IDF soldiers have posted on social media throughout the war against Hamas where they are seen violating the IDF’s code of conduct.
The US officials told the newspaper that the US is differentiating between supporting Israel militarily while also disapproving its actions in the West Bank.
The US officials have said Israel is not being singled out as a special forces unit in the Australian army is being probed by the State Department over allegations that it had carried out human rights abuses in Afghanistan. The Israeli newspaper pointed out that the difference was in the actions taken as the Australian army took significant steps against the unit, including the criminal prosecution of one of the unit’s soldiers while the IDF has not taken any such step.
“I expect the American administration to go back on its intention to impose sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. Netzah Yehuda operated in accordance with IDF values and according to international law, and any event that deviates from the procedures is handled accordingly," Israel defence minister Yoav Gallant said after a meeting with the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on ways to prevent the planned sanctions.
“The commanders and troops of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion are operating at the front of the fighting, since the outbreak of the war, they have been working to drive away Hezbollah forces on the northern border, to thwart terror elements in the West Bank, and these days are working to dismantle the Hamas brigades in the Gaza Strip while risking their lives," he further added.
He said he will also speak to Antony Blinken regarding the sanctions and will urge him to rethink the move. He also spoke with US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew.
“Any attempt to vilify an entire unit casts a heavy shadow on the actions of the IDF to protect the citizens of Israel and thwart terror elements. Harm to one battalion is harm to the entire defence establishment, this is not the way to behave with partners and friends," Gallant said.
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz said in a statement on Sunday that he also asked Blinken to reconsider the move because it would harm Israel’s legitimacy during a time of war. He also cited that the nation has an independent judiciary that can act as a tool to keep checks and balances.
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