Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated his opposition to any potential sanctions targeting Israeli military units for alleged rights violations. This comes after reports from a US news outlet suggested that sanctions could be imposed on Israel’s Netzah Yehuda battalion, which operates in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military, however, denied knowledge of any impending sanctions. The unit in question, Netzah Yehuda, was established to incorporate ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the military. The US recently announced sanctions related to Israeli settlers in the West Bank, leading to growing frustration with Netanyahu’s policies.
Netanyahu vowed to fight against any sanctions on Israeli army units, while Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reconsider the matter. Blinken had made determinations regarding accusations of human rights violations by Israeli units under US laws prohibiting military aid to such units.
Israeli Labour Party leader Merav Michaeli called for dismantling the Netzah Yehuda unit, accusing them of killing Palestinians “for no real reason.” ProPublica reported recommendations to disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units from US aid due to human rights violations in the West Bank.
The Israeli military stated that Netzah Yehuda operates within international law principles and promised to investigate any unusual events according to the law. In 2022, the battalion commander was reprimanded and two officers were dismissed over the death of an elderly Palestinian-American detainee. Netanyahu’s government faces increasing criticism over rights violations in the West Bank.