Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning sanctions on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after a report surfaced claiming that the Biden administration is set to blacklist a unit for alleged human rights violations in Gaza.
Top U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, have been increasingly critical of Israel’s military offensive in the besieged territory, where the mounting civilian death toll has sparked protests around the world.
When asked at a news conference in Italy on Friday about reports that the State Department has recommended the blacklisting of certain Israeli units from receiving U.S military aid over possible human rights abuses in the West Bank, Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not outright confirm the reports but said results are expected “very soon.”
Adding to the friction between the U.S. and longtime ally Israel, an Axios report published on Saturday stated that within days Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF’s “Netzah Yehuda” battalion for alleged human rights abuses.
This article is missing some very notable context.
First, this battalion is a Haredi battalion. The Haredi are Orthodox Jews: they’re very far right, and also highly unpopular within Israel because they’re exempt from the draft. Every other Israeli is required to serve, but the Haredi get exempted and supported by government incomes to just study torah full-time. They are not even allowed to work.
Anyway, the court just ruled that IDF can’t keep exempting them from military service, and they are pissed. They are threatening to collapse the governing coalition over this, and Netanyahu cannot stay in power without their support. Against this backdrop, there is this battalion in the West Bank that is set up to accommodate Haredi volunteers’ ultraconservative lifestyle which is supposed to be the model for integrating them into the army. However guess what? It turns out that a military regiment staffed entirely with far right religious zealots who volunteered to “secure” occupied territory is liable to do exactly what their religious education dictates, and the old testament does NOT conform to modern rules of war. Back then, rape and genocide was de rigueur.
However unlike sanctions against random settlers, this means something: Antony Blinken has been bending over backwards to bury any requests for investigations into war crimes by the IDF, because it’s actually against the law for him to supply them with weapons if he knows about atrocities.
If the US sanctions a battalion… that opens the door to some big shit. Once you recognize that SOME of the IDF is violating international law, it gets much, much, harder to legally justify arming them. Restricting weapons to a single battalion is not unusual within US military aid, but in this case it’s not a small step. It’s a potentially seismic shift in US policy.
I will say something I haven’t said in months: this is good news. This is the first time I can think of that Biden is actually doing something that could make a difference. It’s not enough. We need far more. But this is actual, serious progress.
I’m very interested if this serves multiple purposes for the Biden administration, aimed at weakening the Likud-coalition given the ultra-orthodox/Haredi factions are the political kingmakers currently for Bibi - not just general pressure by the US against illegal settlements and sectarianism. As in, is this part of Biden administration’s approach to isolate and neuter Netanyahu, break up the coalition, and force elections? Given that the US-Israel alliance seems firm despite recent diplomatic spats.
Jumping from sanctioning civilian settlers and political individual, to sanctioning an entire battalion is big. And almost certainly means the US has firm evidence or strong suspicion about abuses and war crimes.
the Biden administration is set to blacklist a unit for alleged human rights violations in Gaza.
Oh for fuck’s sake…
Tokenism at its finest. Like when he banned 3 settlers from using US financial institutions.
Honestly, tokenism is a good place to start.
Realistically, there is no political majority in the USA to go further. The progressive caucus is only about 10% of the House.
That’s enough to have influence, but not enough to drive policy.
But over time, the movement grows.
At this point, the majority of Americans are against what Israel is doing.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/642695/majority-disapprove-israeli-action-gaza.aspx
No it’s not.
Because much like the pathetic settlers ban, you’ll get people arguing Biden is doing something about it because he banned the settlers. It takes pressure off of the administration while doing nothing to help the victims.
It’s effectively whitewashing the issue of the US not taking meaningful action on how it aids Israel.
It’s harmful, not helpful.
How common/uncommon is this? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a unit being sanctioned rather than the government that gives them orders. Seems like a bullshit slap on the wrist.
According to ProPublica, it’s commonly done using Leahy Laws:
The recommendations came from a special committee of State Department officials known as the Israel Leahy Vetting Forum. The panel, made up of Middle East and human rights experts, is named for former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the chief author of 1997 laws that requires the U.S. to cut off assistance to any foreign military or law enforcement units — from battalions of soldiers to police stations — that are credibly accused of flagrant human rights violations.
…
Over the years, hundreds of foreign units, including from Mexico, Colombia and Cambodia, have been blocked from receiving any new aid. Officials say enforcing the Leahy Laws can be a strong deterrent against human rights abuses.
https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations
Blacklist a unit? 😂 Is that unit another country or something? Does our government really believe people are That stupid?
Need to crosspost this in “Not the Onion.”
