The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank and the prospects of peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. This includes attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks against Israelis. There is no justification for extremist violence against civilians, whatever their national origin, ethnicity, or religion.
The United States has therefore implemented new measures to address actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank. This follows the related visa restriction policy announced by the State Department on December 5, 2023.
Sanctions under the New Executive Order
The United States has taken action against persons connected to escalating violence against civilians in the West Bank. The Department of State is imposing financial sanctions on four individuals pursuant to a new Executive Order that President Biden announced today to promote accountability for certain harmful activities that threaten the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. The Executive Order establishes U.S. authority to issue financial sanctions against those directing or participating in certain actions, including acts or threats of violence against civilians, intimidating civilians to cause them to leave their homes, destroying or seizing property, or engaging in terrorist activity in the West Bank.
Pursuant to section 1(a)(i)(A), the following individual is being designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, actions — including directing, enacting, implementing, enforcing, or failing to enforce policies — that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank:
- DAVID CHAI CHASDAI initiated and led a riot, which involved setting vehicles and buildings on fire, assaulting Palestinian civilians, and causing damage to property in Huwara, which resulted in the death of a Palestinian civilian.
Pursuant to section 1(a)(i)(B)(1), the following individuals are being designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in an act of violence or threat of violence targeting civilians, affecting the West Bank:
- EINAN TANJIL was involved in assaulting Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists by attacking them with stones and clubs, resulting in injuries that required medical treatment.
- SHALOM ZICHERMAN (ZICHERMAN), according to video evidence, assaulted Israeli activists and their vehicles in the West Bank, blocking them on the street, and attempted to break the windows of passing vehicles with activists inside. ZICHERMAN cornered at least two of the activists and injured both.
Pursuant to section 1(a)(i)(B)(2), the following individual is being designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in efforts to place civilians in reasonable fear of violence with the purpose or effect of necessitating a change of residence to avoid such violence, affecting the West Bank:
- YINON LEVI (LEVI) led a group of settlers who engaged in actions creating an atmosphere of fear in the West Bank. He regularly led groups of settlers from the Meitarim Farm outpost that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, threatened them with additional violence if they did not leave their homes, burned their fields, and destroyed their property. LEVI and other settlers at Meitarim Farm have repeatedly attacked multiple communities within the West Bank.
Sanctions Implications: As a result of today's action, and in accordance with the new E.O., all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all entities that are owned, either directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Additionally, the entry of designated individuals into the United States is suspended pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 8693.
The power and integrity of U.S. government sanctions derive not only from the U.S. government's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. Petitions for removal from the SDN List can be sent to [email protected]. Petitioners may also refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Questions 897 here . [Full link: https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/897 ]
