Joe Biden has directed top officials to prepare visa bans and sanctions for extremist Israeli settlers attacking and displacing Palestinians in the West Bank.
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POLITICO writes that the directive was sent to senior US officials, notably Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, on Friday.
The document orders their agencies to “develop policy options for swift action against those responsible for violence in the West Bank.”
A senior US official read chapters of the memo to POLITICO on Saturday evening, shortly after Biden published comments in The Washington Post revealing his intentions for such a move.
The United States stands ready to take action, including banning visas for extremists who attack civilians in the West Bank, the president wrote.
Biden’s words in the order can be interpreted quite broadly, journalists write. Those affected by restrictive measures include people or organizations “directly or indirectly involved in activities or policies that threaten the security or stability of the West Bank” and those engaged in “actions that intimidate civilians to force displacement in the West Bank.” .
The document also states that sanctions will affect individuals who “violate human rights and commit actions that disrupt or significantly impede efforts to achieve a two-state solution.”
The note notes that Biden views the issue of settler violence as a “serious threat” to peace between Israelis and Palestinians and another factor of destabilization in the Middle East.
The decision to issue the directive was made after intense debate on this topic with the active participation of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his deputy John Feiner, writes POLITICO.
Biden is convinced that only the implementation of a two-state solution can guarantee the security of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not like the US President’s article for WP.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.