The Biden administration has adjusted its stance on sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank, indicted for fatally attacking Palestinians. Reports indicate that the US has unfrozen the bank accounts of these settlers, allowing them access for basic sustenance purposes. This move comes amidst various interpretations and misinformation regarding the sanctions' extent, with some Israeli media, including Israel Hayom, officials, and pro-Palestine Twitter influencers suggesting a reduction in the sanctions. The US Department of Treasury clarified in a letter to the Bank of Israel that the sanctions aimed to permit humanitarian uses of the bank accounts for 'humanitarian needs', countering narratives by a Netanyahu government official that the US had significantly backtracked on its position. The situation escalated following threats from Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich to impact the Palestinian economy adversely if the sanctions were fully enforced.
Washington backed down on imposing sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank following Israeli Finance minister Betzalel Smotrich's threats to bring down the Palestinian economy https://t.co/fYXvK2nRGW
US backtracks on sanctioning Israeli settlers in West Bank https://t.co/6PdVGajRS3
1 / Below is the letter the US Department of Treasury sent this week to the Bank of Israel regarding sanctions imposed on settlers involved in attacks against Palestinians which states the Israeli banks can allow those settlers to use their bank accounts for humanitarian needs https://t.co/zY7eYY5xnX
Last night, the pro-Netanyahu right-wing paper Israel Hayom and an anonymous Netanyahu government official attempted to spin people into thinking that the US had somehow reduced its settler sanctions. It didn't, but they relied on people not knowing how US sanctions work. https://t.co/WzGlBKmyor
The U.S. informed Israel that sanctioned West Bank settlers can still access their Israeli bank accounts for basic sustenance purposes, indicating that banks should not feel compelled to close accounts of targeted individuals https://t.co/ufMEN9g6vh
lot of people were taken in by the claims coming from a mix of Israel HaYom, Smotrich and pro-Palestine Twitter influencers https://t.co/on2gCvxeHO
Media Coverage | The Biden administration reverses sanctions imposed on Israeli settlers indicted for fatally attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. According to Israeli media reports, the US administration has unfrozen the bank accounts of Israeli settlers after the Israeli… https://t.co/AgOaQIcmDL