Harris ‘expressed concern’ about West Bank settler violence, settlement expansion in meeting with Netanyahu
US Vice President Kamala Harris broached the issue of extremist settler violence in the West Bank during her meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, her office says in a readout of the conversation.
Harris “expressed her concern about actions that undermine stability and security in the West Bank, such as extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,” the readout states.
Settlement expansion has increased sharply since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 at the helm of a hardline pro-settler coalition, and violence committed at the hands of vigilante settlers has spiked in the months since the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught.
In recent months, the Biden administration has sanctioned 11 individuals and 11 entities, and dozens of settlers have been hit with visa bans through the act signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.