From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 25, 2025
Democratic lawmaker to introduce bill codifying Biden’s sanction regime against violent settlers
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A Democratic lawmaker announces that he will be introducing Congressional legislation next week that would codify former US president Joe Biden’s sanctions regime against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The sanctions were reversed by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office.
Settler attacks on Palestinians have continued unabated since, including in the past day when groups of Israelis hurled stones and set fire to property in several Palestinian villages throughout the West Bank. As is often the case in such incidents, no suspects have been arrested.
The lack of accountability is what spurred Biden’s decision to sign an executive order last year that instituted the sanctions regime on the ground that such attacks were destabilizing the West Bank and a threat to US national security interests in the region.
US Representative Jerry Nadler announces the planned legislation during a rally in New York organized by left-leaning Israeli and Jewish activists against the visit of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Nadler cites figures from the settlement watchdog Peace Now that settlers have seized 14% of West Bank territory through “violent tactics such as harassing, intimidating and targeting Palestinian communities.”
“These settlers seized large areas of land from over 60 displaced Palestinian communities and have set up new Israeli outlooks current Israeli government,” Nadler says.
He laments the backing that such violent settlers have been receiving from the current Israeli government. The top police commander in charge of the West Bank is currently under investigation for ignoring settler attacks to curry favor in the eyes of Ben Gvir, whose ministry oversees the police.
“When I return to Washington on Monday, I will be introducing the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, which would codify and enshrine President Biden’s executive order into law,” Nadler declares to cheers from the crowd.
The legislation is almost certain to fail, given the Republican majority in Congress.
The Times of Israel Community.