US sanctions Israeli extremist organization tied to violence in the West Bank

CNN —

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on an Israeli violent extremist organization, three Israeli individuals and four “outposts” connected to violence in the West Bank.

Thursday’s sanctions are the latest tranche under an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in early February amid increased violence in the occupied West Bank. That violence flared in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack and has continued in subsequent months.

“The United States remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

“We strongly encourage the Government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable. In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures,” he said.

Members of the organization sanctioned by the State Department on Thursday, Lehava, “have engaged in repeated acts of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,” according to the State Department. The agency previously sanctioned Lehava’s founder and leader, Ben-Zion Gopstein.

The Biden administration also imposed sanctions on Isaschar Manne and his farm outpost, which he established “in the South Hebron Hills in 2020 after seizing 150 hectares of land.”

According to the State Department, the amount of West Bank land Manne’s outpost has seized since then “has nearly doubled” and “settlers from this outpost regularly attack community shepherds and prevent their access to pastureland through acts of violence.”

Additionally, the administration imposed sanctions on three other outposts in the West