'U.S. Won't Sanction IDF Unit For Human Rights Violations In West Bank' - Axios

Author: Benzinga Newsdesk | August 09, 2024 01:05pm

https://www.axios.com/2024/08/09/idf-west-bank-israeli-blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Friday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and informed him that he had decided to end the investigation into the Israel Defenses Force's "Netzah Yehuda" battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank and not impose sanctions on it, according to two senior U.S. and Israeli officials.

Why it matters: It's a significant diplomatic achievement for Gallant, who in recent months has had quiet talks with Blinken and other senior U.S. officials in an effort to demonstrate that the IDF has taken steps to address human rights violations by members of the battalion.

• If sanctions were imposed on the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, it would have been an unprecedented move on the part of the Biden administration, and potentially damaged the IDF and relations between Israel and the United States.

 

Posted In: EIS ISRA SPY