Monday, May 20

US Announces Visa Ban On Israel Settlers Over West Bank Violence

Edited by Hiba Anvar
US Announces Visa Ban On Israel Settlers On West Bank Violence

The US government on Tuesday has announced that it will impose a visa ban on Israel settlers who are involved in undermining the peace, security and stability in the occupied West Bank.

The secretary of the state, Antony Blinken, announced the decision after warning Israel last week that Joe Biden’s administration would be taking actions over the attack, reports the Guardian. The State department has also said that the Israel government has not taken any sufficient step to address the settlers attack on Palestinians.

“Today, I announced a new visa restrictions policy targeting individuals and their family members involved in or meaningfully contributing to actions that undermine peace, security, and stability in the West Bank. Violence against civilians will have consequences,” Blinken said.

President Biden along with other US officials has warned repeatedly Israel to stop violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Blinked didn’t announce the individual visa ban but the department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the ban will be active on Tuesday onwards which would cover dozens of settlers and their families. The official has not revealed the number and the identity of the individuals due to confidentiality reasons.

Some analysts has welcomed the step taken by the US government against the illegal settlement. Martin Indyk, former US ambassador to Israel, tweeted, “Finally, settler vigilantes will pay a price for their violent efforts to uproot West Bank Palestinians. I hope their Israeli government sponsors will not be allowed to fly either.”

The new decision came just a month after the US announcement’s of granting Israel entry into the US visa waiver program, which allows its citizens visa-free entry into the US. And thus, now, the ones targeted will not be eligible to this program and those who hold the visa will have them revoked.

Violence has sored in West Bank since Israel launched an assault on the besieged enclave of Gaza strip on October 7. As per Al Jazeera report, since the attack, Israel settlers have killed at least nine Palestinians in the West Bank. While when Palestinians attacks Israeli settlers and soldiers, they end up meeting harsh reprisals from Israel forces.

Palestinian considers settler violence as part of a larger Israeli effort to force them their land. In addition, Israel has also passed a controversial bill in 2018, known as the ‘nation-state law’ which allows the illegal settlement of Jews in the lands of Palestinians. And it calls the Jewish settlement efforts a “national value” that the state would “encourage and promote”.