The United States has decided to no longer allow Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians to travel to the United States. Washington decided to ban people involved in attacks and killings in the occupied West Bank from entering the country; It’s a way to pressure Tel Aviv to do more to prevent violence by Jewish settlers.
The move comes just a month after Israelis were allowed to enter the United States without a visa. Recipients of the project and possibly their immediate family members will not be able to participate in the program, and those who already have US visas will have their visas cancelled. Secretary of State Antony said the new restriction policy relates to “individuals perceived to be involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through acts of violence or other actions that unduly restrict civilians’ access to basic services and basic needs.” He winks. President Joe Biden and other senior US officials have repeatedly warned that Israel must take action to stop Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Attacks have increased in recent months after the government of Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to the expansion of settlements, which is illegal under international law, based on the support of powerful religious parties. extremist in the nation’s history. The attacks increased further after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and the subsequent war began in Gaza. Violent settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have doubled since then, according to the United Nations. Armed, uniformed settlers have appeared in Palestinian villages, and residents, Israeli peace activists and the UN have threatened to kill anyone who does not leave.
The events have forced more than 1,000 Palestinians from at least 15 communities to flee their homes in the West Bank, according to the United Nations and Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. This number is more than twice the total number of those displaced in the West Bank between the beginning of 2022 and October 6 this year, according to B’Tselem. According to the United Nations, more than 246 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed in the West Bank since October 7. Most were killed by Israeli forces, but at least eight were killed by settlers. During the same period, four Israelis, three of whom were soldiers, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank.
The groups say settlers have attacked Palestinians in the past, but the current level of violence is unprecedented in frequency and intensity. “The moment the war started in Gaza, the settlers knew they had an opportunity because no one was looking,” B’Tselem spokesman Dror Sadot told the Washington Post. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference following the announcement that Blinken told Israeli officials during his visit last week that they “must do more to stop extreme violence against Palestinians and convict those responsible.”
He added that “Palestinian leaders must also do more to prevent Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the West Bank.” “We expect this action to affect dozens of people and potentially their family members,” Miller said, as reported by Reuters, adding that all Israelis with existing U.S. visas affected by this action will be notified that their visas will be canceled.
Since the Six-Day War in the Middle East in 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank along with Gaza, which forms the core of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. He established Jewish settlements there, which most countries in the world consider illegal. Israel claims these are necessary for historical and biblical ties to the land. Asked about settler violence at a press conference on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said no one except Israeli officials has the right to use violence. “Israel is a state of law. The right to use violence belongs only to those authorized by the government,” he said.
Miller said Israel has taken some measures, such as administrative detention, to hold those responsible for the violence in the West Bank, but US officials believe that these people should be tried.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
