WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an ally of Israel’s far-right national security minister and two entities that raised money for men accused of settler violence, the latest actions aimed against those Washington blames for an escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank.

The sanctions, in addition to those already imposed on five settlers and two unauthorised outposts already this year, are the latest sign of growing US frustration with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The moves on Friday, which freeze any US assets held by those targeted and generally bar Americans from dealing with them, hit two organisations that launched fundraising campaigns to support settlers accused of violence and targeted by previous sanctions, the Treasury said in a statement.

The Biden administration’s moves against Israeli settlers have upset right-wing members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition who support the expansion of Jewish settlements and ultimately the annexation of the West Bank, where Palestinians envisage a future state.

They come as the complex relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv is tested by the Gaza crisis and as the Biden administration urges Israel to show restraint in responding to retaliatory strikes by Iran.

Washington sanctioned Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said members of the group had engaged in “destabilising violence affecting the West Bank”.

“Under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas,” Miller said in a statement, warning of additional steps if Israel does not take measures to prevent extremist attacks amid an escalation of violence in the occupied territory in recent days.

The European Union said on Friday it had agreed to impose sanctions against Lehava and other groups linked to violent settlers.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024