The United States government is considering imposing sanctions on a battalion of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over alleged human rights violations, marking a potentially historic move in the relations between the two countries.
According to media reports, the sanctions would ban the battalion and its members from receiving any kind of US military assistance or training. The decision is based on concerns about incidents in the West Bank before the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2021. Notably, the death of US-Palestinian citizen Omar Assad in IDF custody has drawn significant attention.
The Netzah Yehuda battalion, an all-male unit of the IDF, has faced criticism and allegations of human rights violations over the years. Members of the group have been indicted in Israel for the torture and sexual assault of Palestinians in separate cases.
The power for imposing the sanctions is believed to flow from the Leahy Laws in the US, which prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice. It has been applied against some of the US assistance given to a few countries in South America, among others.
The decision to consider sanctions against the IDF battalion comes amid broader concerns about Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Since October 2021, over 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with concerns over civilian deaths at the hands of the IDF raised time and again.
US President Joe Biden has urged restraint of Israel but defended its “right to defend” itself. The US has come under criticism at home and abroad for its continued support for Israel. Biden is also walking a tightrope politically, with US presidential elections due later this year. Pro-Palestinian protests have become a flashpoint over US college campuses, seen as at odds with the country’s historic support for Israel.
The attempt to maintain balance is also seen in how on April 21, the US Congress voted for a Bill to commit around $26 billion for supporting Israel and providing humanitarian relief for people in Gaza. It will now go to the Senate.
