Scoop: Biden to sign unprecedented order targeting Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians

Scoop: Biden to sign unprecedented order targeting Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians

President Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday allowing the U.S. to impose new sanctions on Israeli settlers — and potentially Israeli politicians and government officials — involved in violent attacks against Palestinians, two U.S. officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The unprecedented executive order is the most significant step any U.S. administration has ever taken in response to violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

• It reflects the Biden administration’s determination that extremist settler violence has reached levels that constitute a serious threat to security in the West Bank and entire region and undermines U.S. foreign policy objectives, mainly the viability of a two-state solution, U.S. officials said.

Zoom in: There have been nearly 500 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since Oct. 7, according to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA).

• In those attacks, Israeli settlers have killed at least eight Palestinians, including a child, and injured more than 115 others, OCHA said on Wednesday.
• The Israeli government claims it has taken robust action over the last two months to tackle the problem and that it led to a decrease in the number of violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Driving the news: The Biden administration has raised its concerns about settler violence numerous times with different Israeli governments over the last three years.

• After the settler violence reached record levels following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack, Biden raised the issue publicly and privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other senior U.S. officials have also brought up the issue with their Israeli counterparts in recent months.

Biden in November ordered the secretaries of state and treasury to prepare possible sanctions against Israeli individuals or entities involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

• Several weeks later, Blinken imposed visa bans on several dozen Israeli settlers believed to be involved in attacks against Palestinians, preventing them from traveling to the U.S.

Details: U.S. officials said the first round of sanctions expected under the new executive order includes four Israeli settlers who the U.S. said were directly involved in attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and systematic acts that led to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities.

• The settlers’ assets and bank accounts in the U.S. will be frozen and no one will be allowed to trade or transfer them money through the U.S. financial system.

The executive order allows the administration to impose sanctions on additional individuals who directed or participated in acts or threats of violence against Palestinian civilians, intimidated Palestinian civilians causing them to leave their homes, destroyed or seized property of Palestinian civilians, or were involved in acts of terrorism against Palestinian civilians, U.S. officials say.

• It also allows the administration to sanction leaders or government officials directly or indirectly involved in violence against Palestinians, the officials add.
• The executive order makes clear that individuals who are “directing, enacting, implementing and enforcing or failing to enforce policies that threaten the peace, security and stability in the West Bank” could be sanctioned.
• Sanctions could also be imposed on individuals who provide funding, assistance or support for settlers engaged in violent attacks against Palestinians in the Palestinian territory, the U.S. officials say.

Behind the scenes: The White House, State Department and Department of Treasury have been quietly working on the executive order for weeks, according to the U.S. officials.

• The administration had considered including ultranationalist Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich on the list of sanctioned individuals, but it ultimately decided to leave them off for now and focus on those who perpetrated attacks, the U.S. officials add.
• The Biden administration notified the Israeli government about the executive order and sanctions on Thursday morning, officials say.

Of note: The Biden administration had imposed five rounds of sanctions against Hamas leaders and operatives over the last three months.

Between the lines: Thursday’s order comes ahead of Biden’s visit to Michigan later Thursday. The state is home to the biggest population of Arab Americans.

• Arab American voters angered over Biden’s policy on the war in Gaza could endanger his re-election bid in several key swing states.

Go deeper: State Department reviewing options for possible recognition of Palestinian state

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