Report: Biden Admin Mulls Sanctions on Religious IDF Battalion Fighting Terrorists In West Bank and Gaza
Prime Minister Netanyahu slams the move to sanction IDF servicemen while they fight Hamas terrorists in Gaza as ‘absurdity’ and a ‘moral low.’
Almost a week after Iran unleashed hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel and Hamas still holed up in Gaza’s terrorist stronghold of Rafah, President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly considering sanctions on an Israeli military unit, accusing them of ‘human rights violation’ in the West Bank.
“The United States is set to impose sanctions on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, marking the first time Washington has taken such action against an Israeli military unit,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported Saturday night.
According to the news channel, “the sanctions will include a ban on the transfer of U.S. military aid to the battalion and restrictions on its members’ participation in training activities funded by the United States.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the possible move by the Biden State Department to sanction Israeli servicemen while they were engaged in a decisive battle with Hamas terrorists in the wake of the October 7 massacre as ‘absurdity’ and a ‘moral low.’
“At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to sanction a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” the Israeli prime minister tweeted in Hebrew.
אסור להטיל סנקציות על צבא ההגנה לישראל!
**
אני פועל בשבועות האחרונים נגד הטלת סנקציות על אזרחים ישראלים, כולל בשיחות שלי עם בכירי הממשל האמריקני.בשעה שחיילינו נלחמים במפלצות הטרור, הכוונה להטיל סנקציה על יחידה בצה״ל זה שיא האבסורד ושפל ערכי.
הממשלה בראשותי תפעל בכל האמצעים…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2024
“In recent weeks, I have been working against the leveling of sanctions on Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with senior American government officials,” he added. “The government I head will act by all means against these moves.”
This is Netzah Yehuda – Judah's Eternity – probably the most religious combat battalion in the IDF. The West thinks these Bible-believing soldiers, who are motivated first and foremost by their faith in God, should be sanctioned. #IsraelFightsTerror #Israel pic.twitter.com/aaw9A9G1uw
— Eretz Israel (@EretzIsrael) April 21, 2024
The IDF also rejected the charges of alleged misconduct levelled against Netzah Yehuda, praising the role played by the unit.
“The IDF Netzah Yehuda Battalion soldiers are currently participating in the war effort in the Gaza Strip. The battalion is professionally and bravely conducting operations in accordance to the IDF Code of Ethics and with full commitment to international law,” the IDF said in a press release Sunday. “In recent years, the battalion’s soldiers have been at the heart of operational duties working around the clock in order to protect Israeli civilians, while being a leading battalion with regards to recruitment of ultra-Orthodox citizens to the IDF.”
The Jerusalem Post reported the measure being considered by the Biden administration:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the next few days, according to three American sources.
The sanctions are a result of human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
This will be the first time that the United States government has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit for its activities in the West Bank.
The sources stated that the American sanctions will prohibit the transfer of US military aid to the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, will prevent its soldiers and officers from taking part in training with the United States military, and will prevent the soldiers from this unit from participating in activities that receive American funding.
The sanctions are based on a 1997 law by former Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, which prohibits the United States from providing military aid or training to security forces, the military, or the police when there is reliable information about human rights abuses.
The reported sanctions against the IDF’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion by the @StateDept is the result of a coordinated campaign by DAWN and other extreme political NGOs. DAWN has an extensive list of targets and won’t stop after an IDF unit or few individuals. > https://t.co/JFBwm4wFkn pic.twitter.com/nF2OaSoFv8
— NGO Monitor (@NGOmonitor) April 21, 2024
Netzah Yehuda Battalion, created in 1999 as as a special unit for ultra-orthodox soldiers, has a strength of 1000 servicemen. In past, Netzah Yehuda largely operated in Judea and Samaria region — also referred to as the West Bank. Since October 7, the unit has been serving in combat roles in Gaza as part of the IDF’s Swords of Iron operation.
The news comes as Palestinian terrorist groups continue to target Jews living in Judea and Samaria. “IDF forces neutralized two terrorists who attacked them Sunday at the Beit Einun junction between Kiryat Arba and Gush Etzion. One of the terrorists lunged at the soldiers with a knife while the second assailant opened fire at them. There were no casualties among the soldiers,” the Israeli news website YNET reported Sunday.
“Last week, a Border Police reservist was lightly wounded by sniper fire in the Singil Junction in the West Bank. This came just hours after the body of Israeli teenager Binyamin Achimeir, 14, was found with signs of violence. The body of Achimeir, a shepherd, was recovered at the end of an extensive search after his herd returned to the Malachi HaShalom settlement in the West Bank without him,” the news outlet added.
The ‘Netzah Yehuda’ battalion is an inseparable part of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subject to military law and is responsible for operating in full compliance with International law.
The State of Israel has a strong, independent judicial system that evaluates meticulously…
— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) April 20, 2024
Bloomberg TV: Israel’s recent airstrike eliminated ‘entire’ IRGC terror leadership in Syria
The alleged Israeli airstrike, which rattled Tehran, reportedly succeed in wiping out the entire leadership of Iran’s Islamic Guard (IRGC) in Syria, the Bloomberg TV reports. In early April, a supposed Israeli strike in Damascus, Syria eliminated several IRGC terror commanders, including those holding the rank of generals.
The Jerusalem Post reported citing Bloomberg TV:
The Bloomberg television network revealed overnight into Saturday that in the attack attributed to Israel at the Iranian consulate in Syria, the entire command hierarchy responsible for the activities of the Revolutionary Guards in Syria and Lebanon was killed. According to the report, “the senior officers were pivotal for Hezbollah’s activities in the region.”
According to the reports, General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Rahimi, along with other officers who were killed, were certain that the consulate building next to the embassy was “the safest” in Damascus and that Israel would not dare to attack the site.
Before the airstrike on the consulate building in Damascus, the residences of the ambassador and the consul were supposed to be transferred to a new apartment complex further down the same street, where the two brothers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also live. Shortly before the attack, the senior ranking officials of the IRGC in Syria met on the second floor of the consulate building and decided to stay there.
IDF hits Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon
The Israeli air forces carried out strikes against Hezbollah targets as Iran-backed terrorist militia fired more rockets into northern Israel.
“Overnight, IAF fighter jets struck a number of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including an observation post in the area of Odaisseh, and two military structures in the area of Khiam,” the IDF revealed Sunday morning.
“During one of the strikes, a terrorist was identified operating inside a Hezbollah military structure in the area of Tayr Harfa. Shortly after the identification, fighter jets struck and destroyed the structure.”
The Israeli military says IAF fighter jets struck a number of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including an observation post in the area of Odaisseh, and two military structures in the area of Khiam.
During one of the strikes, a terrorist was identified operating inside a… pic.twitter.com/A7Q26ZiPou
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) April 21, 2024
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Comments
Basic rule of thumb: If the Biden administration believes they have committed war crimes and must be sanctioned, then they have not committed war crimes and are being sanctioned entirely because they are effective at killing Hamas and defending Jews.
This BS is the Biden Admin strong arming Americans Jews aimed directly at keeping them from fighting for the IDF. If American Citizens are in Israel fighting and get sanctioned, can they even come back to America again?
Orwellian, I am amazed by Israel’s restraint. Thye could and probably should extract a much higher price.
Oh dear…. don’t show Biden and Schumer that video of their vaunted hero FDR and Churchill singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” aboard the battleship.
Considering every Hamas fighter is a devout Koran believing fighter, this shows the contempt of the Biden admin for anything not secular or Muslim.
Q1.: If cutting babies’ heads off a war crime?
Q2: If so, have hamas (and Reuters) been sanctioned?
(“Battalian”??)
Indeed. One would think spell check should have caught something so egregious.
C’mon guys, proofread your stuff before you post it. Have a colleague look it over critically. It’ll help your credibility.
LOL, I looked at your comment and saw you used the words “spell check” and then I realized you probably meant spell-check or “spellcheck”. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Spell check is acceptable as well, but the language American’s use can be a bit confusing. That said, there is only one spelling for “battalion” that I’m aware of.
Fixed, thanks.
We’re witnessing increasingly dangerous behavior from the utterly vile, evil, feckless and morally bankrupt Dhimmi-crats.
Biden’s and his chaperone’s stunts are clearly intended to fabricate a fallacious propaganda narrative that not only unfairly vilifies the IDF and Israeli Jews (while downplaying and ignoring the Arab Muslim Fakestinian Islamofascism and genocidal Muslim supremacism that lie at the heart of the middle east’s conflicts), but, also, propagates the totally offensive and slanderous propaganda mythology that alleged Jewish belligerence and animus towards the Fakestinians is somehow equal in scope, spite and pervasiveness, to Muslims’ bigoted and genocidal aspirations against Jews.
Everything that vile Biden and the Dhimmi-crats do, now, vis-a-vis Israel, is a transparently self-serving stunt intended to obsequiously pander to and kowtow to domestic, Jew-hating, genocidal Muslim supremacists and Islamofascists in Michigan, and, elsewhere in the U.S. This is all about procuring votes.
If the Marxists win in 2024 they might start supplying Hamas with arms
I agree. These bastards would already be doing this, if they thought for one minute they could get away with it, undetected.
Weapons left behind in Afghanistan are being used.
Pretty sure they do already
You mean, more openly than they have done in the past?
What are the IDF troops alleged to have done?
Quite a one-sided article!
No doubt…I also have unanswered questions.
From what I’ve read of this Battalion, the only thing they’re guilty of is being highly effective in battle against Hamas.
As far as I know, there was one incident; some of the soldiers handcuffed a Palestinian (with American citizenship) during a legitimate raid on terrorists in Judea & Samaria, left him overnight & he was found dead of exposure the next morning. This took place under the Lapid/Bennet administration, although Lapid tried to blame it on the current administration, for which he was soundly ridiculed.
The IDF is looking into the charges. More I do not know.
I’m aware of only 1 incident. During a legitimate raid on a terrorist cell in Judea & Samaria, they handcuffed an Arab man & apparently forgot about him. He was left outdoors overnight & was found dead of exposure the next morning. Lapid recently blasted the Netanyahu government for these sanctions, until he was reminded that these events took place during the Lapid government, before Netanyahu was elected.
Let me know when Biden sanctions the terrorists who run the Palestinian Authority.
The most powerful and dangerous Iranian proxy is the Biden administration.
Barky’s 3rd
So now we have to sanction an IDF battalion as a sop to moral equivalence. This reeks of dei concepts. We have to get these people out of government. What a fu$&ing mess. FJB
Here is what I find interesting in this report about the Netzah Yehuda Battalion —
— exactly what “human rights violation” have they supposedly committed?
From the various links, apparently all this predates 10/7, but none of the reports state the exact allegations. If we’re going to sanction people, shouldn’t we be able to say, succinctly, what the action was that deserves sanction?
This decision is indeed strange and one could argue hypocritical as nothing the administration is saying is affecting funding and supplies that are getting to Hamas through the UN and or US aid.
To address your point, in the above linked Jerusalem Post article there is this little gem:
So while Hamas gets a “pass” on their human rights violations, the Biden administration is looking to punish a unit and a country for alleged conduct before October 7.
There is no moral equivalency in alleged human rights violations and actual horrific violations yet the Biden administration is willing to tilt the balance against Israel and not terrorists (and those who support them.)
No mention of any sanctions against the terrorists of the Palestinian Authority in the “West Bank“, though, is there? How curious. Call me shocked.
See my answer above. There is one incident where some of the soldiers in the battalion apparently let a prisoner die of neglect.
Please tell me that you are not trying to do any type of moral equivalency behind the wrongful death of one person vs. the indiscriminate launching of rockets from Gaza aimed at population centers wrongfully killing hundreds of civilians in Israel prior to Oct 7.
Please tell me that you are not trying to equate the brutal, horrific crimes against humanity Hamas on and subsequent to Oct 7, supported by funds and supplies from the US and through the UN, with this one act from a battalion where the officers were relieved and the solders were disciplined.
Well, Russia is supporting the Iranian attacks on Israel, providing the Iranians with cruise missiles and drones. So maybe Tucker Carlson can ask Putin about this? Instead of shopping carts in a grocery store? Probably not
The State Department clearly leaked this action hoping to placate the Columbia student protesters and the Dearborn, MI, Muslims.
Blinken is not only a dangerous, pathetic man, he is a sociopathic liar.
Well, Gropey Joe is good at finding some kind of cover for whatever pander of the moment he’s pursuing.
Ya gotta learn something with 40, 50, a million years opportunisting in The Apparatus.
Well, here we have the State Department demonstrating, again, that any authoritah spun up needs limiting principles, halting conditions, and oversight.
Sure, conduct foreign policy, or something. BUT, judge, jury and executioner propagating charges against a nation not ours, leveled by advocated we find convenient, conveniently producing political fodder for the current administration’s political convenience?
Now do gun running into Syria through Libya. While we’re at it, what can we cram into an Oh My God, Emergency! Ukraine aid bill?
The sanctions are a result of allegations of human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank by those supporting the Palestinian terrorists.
FIFY
Also, this is why it’s so important to be self-sufficient. Because we have no business sanctioning military units of another country. Should be a case of “Not my monkeys, not my circus.”