About 90 Democratic lawmakers have called on US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. They made this call in a letter on Thursday, accusing them of anti-Palestinian violence in the West Bank of occupied Palestine. This information is known from the report of the news agency Reuters.
In the letter, the Democratic lawmakers said they wanted to send a strong message to Israel during Biden's term. They claim that Finance Minister Bezalel Smatrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gavir, two important pillars of Netanyahu's government, have incited anti-Palestinian violence.
“We are deeply concerned by the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, moves to weaken the Palestinian Authority and the alarming escalation of violence there,” the letter said. The letter was signed by 17 senators and 71 House representatives. It states that Israeli settlers in the West Bank have carried out more than 1,270 violent attacks on Palestinians. That is an average of more than three per day.
Although the letter was written on October 29, it was published on Thursday. Because no response was received from the White House, said three members of Congress. Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen and House Representatives Rosa DiLaro and Sean Kasten said Biden has the power to impose sanctions under an executive order within the existing power structure.
“It's critical now to send the message that the United States will not condone the actions of Netanyahu's extremist government,” Van Hollen said.
There was no immediate comment from the White House or the Israeli Embassy in the United States. The United States has for many years advocated a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. In addition, Israel has been urged to refrain from settlement expansion.
Israel occupied the West Bank during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. However, most countries in the world consider Israeli settlements there illegal. However, Israel considers the West Bank vital to its security based on historical claims.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu welcomed Donald Trump as the US elected him for a second term. Earlier, the Trump administration secured some important achievements for Israel.
On the other hand, Bezalel said last week that he hopes to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank by 2025. At the same time, he said that he will pressure the government to take steps to get the support of the Trump administration.
