From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 17, 2025
Biden admin didn’t realize 2 settlers it sanctioned are US citizens ineligible for designation, officials tell ToI
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Two US officials reveal to The Times of Israel that Washington didn’t properly vet some of the settlers it sanctioned last year which led to the designation of two Israelis who also have US citizenship. This should have made them ineligible for targeting under an executive order signed by US President Joe Biden aimed at curbing rampant settler violence in the West Bank.
Issachar Manne, who was sanctioned in July, and Levi Yitzchak Pilant, who was sanctioned in August, are both US citizens, but they were identified in the Treasury Department announcement as “foreign persons.”
The two US officials acknowledged to The Times of Israel that the administration’s vetting process failed to identify the pair as US citizens.
The Treasury Department and State Department did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Manne and Pilant have sued the US government, arguing that the sanctions violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. They also note that they should have been ineligible for sanctions by virtue of their US citizenship.
The Times of Israel Community.