Topline
The United States will begin imposing visa restrictions against people “involved in or meaningfully contributing to the undermining of peace, security or stability in the West Bank” as violence in the region occupied by both Palestinians and Israelis hits record levels, U.S. officials announced Tuesday.
A picture shows a view of the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of … [+]
Key Facts
In a video statement posted to X, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the visa restrictions apply to people involved in “acts of violence against persons or property” or people placing “undue restrictions on civilians’ access to essential services and basic necessities.”
The restrictions can apply to Israelis or Palestinians, though the U.S. has expressed more concern about Israeli violence, which has hit record highs this year and only worsened since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and subsequent war.
Since then, the United Nations has recorded 314 attacks by Israeli settlers that have led to Palestinian casualties, damage to property owned by Palestinians or both, the Associated Press reported.
Israel has occupied parts of the West Bank since the late 1960s, though Palestinians consider it their land and it would be integral to a Palestinian state if they could establish control of it, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
The new visa policy is a slight break in the U.S.’ unwavering support of Israel as President Joe Biden encouraged Israeli officials to hold people committing violence in the West Bank accountable, threatening sanctions if perpetrators of violence weren’t held accountable more than two weeks ago.
Visa restrictions began Tuesday and will continue in the coming days, and could apply to immediate family members of those sanctioned, Miller said.
Crucial Quote
“We unequivocally condemn attacks by violent Israeli extremists against Palestinians, and those by violent Palestinian extremists against Israelis,” Miller said. “These acts threaten West Bank stability in the immediate term, and take us further away from a future in which Palestinians and Israelis can both live in peace and security in two states.”
Surprising Fact
A United Nations report in September said there are around three incidents related to Israeli settlers daily in the West Bank, the Associated Press reported, which is the ”highest daily average since the U.N. began documenting the trend in 2006.”
Key Background
Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been asking Israeli officials to control settler action for weeks, calling the attacks “unacceptable,” CNN reported. In his visit to Israel last week, Blinken reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. was prepared to take action on its own—such as implementing visa restrictions—if the violence wasn’t addressed. Israeli settlers—often with government permission—have built or are trying to build settlements on Palestinian land, disrupting the idea of a two-state solution by taking land Palestinians are allowed to occupy. Al Jazeera reported last month that about 40% of occupied West Bank land consists of settlements.
Further Reading
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/12/05/us-implementing-visa-bans-connected-to-violence-in-west-bank/