The United States has imposed visa restrictions on violent Jewish extremists, including settlers, who have attacked innocent Palestinians in the West Bank.
“We expect this action to impact dozens of individuals and potentially their family members,” US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington on Tuesday.
He indicated that the new policy would be applied immediately and that those with existing visas would be notified that the document had been revoked.
Such Israelis would also be excluded from the visa waiver program. The names of those targeted by the policy will not be made public, Miller explained.
“We have not seen a sufficient level of action by the government of Israel that has properly held people accountable,” he said.
“We have taken the action that we the US government can take,” but that doesn’t absolve the Israeli government from its obligation to halt such violence, Miller said.
The language of the new policy announced Tuesday by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was vague and also included Palestinians involved in violent attacks against Israelis.“The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank, including attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and Palestinian attacks against Israelis,” Blinken said.
Attacks are 'unacceptable'
“We have underscored to the Israeli government the need to do more to hold accountable extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank,” he said.
“As President Biden has repeatedly said, those attacks are unacceptable. Last week in Israel, I made clear that the United States is ready to take action using our own authorities.
“Today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security, or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians’ access to essential services and basic necessities. Immediate family members of such persons also may be subject to these restrictions,” Blinken said.
The US will “continue to engage with the Israeli leadership to make clear that Israel must take additional measures to protect Palestinian civilians from extremist attacks. We will also continue to engage the Palestinian Authority to make clear it must do more to curb Palestinian attacks against Israelis.
“Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have the responsibility to uphold stability in the West Bank. Instability in the West Bank both harms the Israeli and Palestinian people and threatens Israel’s national security interests. Those responsible for it must be held accountable,” Blinken said.