Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Issues a Warning to Blinken As US Prepares Sanctions Against Additional IDF and Police Units for Violating Human Rights

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he would oppose any attempt to sanction Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) units. There have been rumors that the US intends to sanction not only the ultra-orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the IDF but also other IDF and police units for alleged human rights violations in the West Bank.

Netanyahu said in a statement, “I will fight it with all my strength if anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit of the IDF.”

Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reports that, in addition to Netzah Yehuda, other Israeli military and police units are also under investigation by the Biden administration for possible human rights breaches against Palestinians.

According to a different Axios source, the Biden administration is anticipated to declare the Netzah Yehuda penalties this week.

In addition, the State Department had been investigating Netzah Yehuda for more than a year, according to their report. US officials asked their Israeli counterparts, citing the repeated misbehavior against Palestinians as justification for the sanctions, why the battalion was not investigated and why no action was taken against it after it was relocated out of the West Bank in 2022 to prevent contact with Palestinians.

According to The Times of Israel, the sanctions—which fall under the Leahy Law—may not have a significant effect since Israel is still able to acquire weaponry for the battalion while being prohibited from doing so by US military funding for Netzah Yehuda.

According to the article, additional Western countries may attack IDF units that are allegedly targeting Palestinians, much as the US has done.

The acts of Netzah Yehuda came under scrutiny when Omar As’ad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, passed away in 2022. Omar passed away after being taken into custody, shackled, blindfolded, and then left by battalion troops in very cold weather.

The United States is considering the possibility of sending more IDF battalions along with a few police units. This decision was made after the US saw the many videos that IDF troops had shared on social media during the conflict with Hamas, in which they were shown breaking the Israeli code of conduct.

The US is making a distinction between military backing Israel and disapproving of its conduct in the West Bank, according to US officials who spoke with the publication.

According to US authorities, Israel is not being singled out while the Australian army’s special forces unit is being investigated by the State Department for possible human rights violations in Afghanistan. The Australian army took major action against the unit, including the criminal prosecution of one of the unit’s troops, while the IDF did not take any such action, as noted by the Israeli daily.

“I anticipate that the US government will retract its plans to penalize the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. Following a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on strategies to avert the impending sanctions, Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant stated, “Netzah Yehuda operated in accordance with IDF values and according to international law, and any event that deviates from the procedures is handled accordingly.”

He continued, “Since the start of the war, the leaders and soldiers of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion have been at the forefront of the fighting, striving to eject Hezbollah forces from the northern border, to thwart terror elements in the West Bank, and these days, at great personal risk, to dismantle the Hamas brigades in the Gaza Strip.”

He said that he would discuss the sanctions with Antony Blinken and ask him to reconsider the action. Jack Lew, the US ambassador to Israel, was also a guest of his.

“Any attempt to demonize a whole unit clouds the IDF’s efforts to defend Israeli people and foil terrorist organizations. This is not how you treat partners and friends; damage to one unit is damage to the defense institution as a whole, Gallant said.

In a statement released on Sunday, conflict Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz stated that he had also requested Blinken to rethink the decision, since it would undermine Israel’s credibility in a time of conflict. He also mentioned the country’s independent judiciary, which serves as a vehicle for maintaining checks and balances.