Why the US could impose sanctions on an Israeli army battalion – DW – 04/23/2024

Numerous media outlets are reporting that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is about to announce sanctions against a battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The unit, known as Netzah Yehuda (Judea Forever), has been accused of human rights abuses against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

According to the Associated Press news agency, the US has investigated five military units for serious human rights violations. However, these sanctions would only apply to this unit, with two restrictions imposed: first, no U.S. military aid would go to Netzah Yehuda; second, participation in US-funded training programs would be limited. The Israeli government has already stated that it will oppose the sanctions.

What is Netzah Yehuda?

The Netzah Yehuda Battalion was established in the late 1990s as a special religious unit, with specific conditions to facilitate military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim). The men are given time for prayer and religious studies, their food is kosher and contact with female soldiers is very limited. The battalion is part of the Kfir Infantry Brigade, which says it has a total of about 1,000 soldiers. The majority of the ultra-Orthodox community is against mandatory military service, making this a controversial issue.

Many of the soldiers in the battalion joined voluntarily because Haredim in Israel have always been exempt from military service. For example, those who have attended a yeshiva (a religious school) up to a certain age cannot be drafted into the IDF.

However, more and more politicians are calling for the rule to be changed. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 1998 that this was discriminatory. And since October 2023, with the start of the war in Gaza against the militant group Hamas – which the US, EU and others label as a terrorist group – thousands of Haredim have volunteered for military service.

Rally point for radical settlers?

The unit consists of both ultra-Orthodox and religious-nationalist Israelis. Among them are radical settlers from the occupied West Bank who have close ties to the parties of right-wing extremist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. According to the American news website Axios, more and more so-called “Hilltop Youth” have joined the battalion over the years. This group consists of young, radical, sometimes violent settlers. Just last week, the EU sanctioned the Hilltop Youth for their attacks on Palestinians.

Netzah Yehuda was originally stationed in the occupied West Bank, but was relocated to northern Israel in late 2022. The battalion has now also been deployed in the war in the Gaza Strip.

What exactly is the battalion accused of?

The Times of Israel reports that Netzah Yehuda has been linked to right-wing extremism and violence against Palestinians. According to the Axios website, the battalion first came to the attention of the US government in 2022, with incidents of violence against Palestinian civilians.

Members of the battalion are said to have detained a nearly 80-year-old man, Omar Assad, and kept him bound and gagged for hours. Assad, a Palestinian-American, died a few hours later of a stress-induced heart attack. As reported by the Washingtonpost and other outlets, an autopsy showed this was likely caused by him being abused.

The IDF condemned the incident at the time, describing it as a “moral failure” and a poor decision on the part of those responsible. Two officers were fired and a third was reprimanded, but no criminal charges were filed.

The incident attracted attention because of the man’s dual nationality, his advanced age and because the US called for an investigation. However, human rights activists can cite numerous other cases of alleged abuse and torture of Palestinians.

How has Israel responded?

The Israeli government has expressed outrage over reports of impending sanctions. On Saturday evening, President Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Sanctions should not be imposed on the Israeli army!” and stated that his government was working to prevent such measures. His post continued: “At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose sanctions on an IDF unit is the height of absurdity and a moral low point.”

The Israeli military has stated that it is not aware of any sanctions against its units, saying: “If a decision is made on the issue, it will be reviewed.”

Is the US considering further sanctions?

Sanctions against the Israeli army are a new development, but the US has imposed sanctions against Israel before, including recently against extremist settlers, and against right-wing extremist Bentzi Gopstein, an ally of Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right Foreign Minister. national security.

The US has also sanctioned two organizations that provide financial support to sanctioned extremist settlers. Their assets in the US have been frozen. U.S. citizens and others in the U.S. are also prohibited from transacting with sanctioned organizations and individuals.

This article has been translated from German.