The Biden administration seeks to prevent Jewish extremists who attack Palestinians from entering the United States in its harshest stance to date against such West Bank violence.
“I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable,” US President Joe Biden wrote in an opinion piece he published in the Washington Post on Saturday.
“The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” he stressed.
According to the United Nations, eight Palestinians, including one child, have been killed by settlers in the West Bank and another 74 were injured.
A third of those injuries were caused by live ammunition, the UN stated.
Biden administration increasingly concerned with extremist violence
The Biden administration is increasingly concerned by the growing number of Jewish extremist attacks that have occurred both before and after the start of the Gaza war.
Its officials have been careful to mention settler violence as it condemns Hamas’ killing of 1,200 people and its seizure of over 239 hostages when it infiltrated southern Israel on October 7.
The administration has supported Israel’s military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza in the aftermath of that attack and has spoken of the importance of a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the aftermath of the resulting war.
“In the months ahead, the United States will redouble our efforts to establish a more peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Middle East — a region where a day like October 7 is unthinkable, “ Biden wrote.