Top Senate Democrats call to expand US sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers

WASHINGTON — Top Democrats in Congress are urging US President Joe Biden to expand its sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers, providing additional tailwind for use of the tool that Washington began using earlier this year for the first time.

“We urge the Administration to ‘follow the money’ and take further actions against any private entities that finance or sponsor violence against Palestinian civilians or facilitate property destruction, illegal seizure or dispossession of land from Palestinians in the West Bank,” reads a letter to Biden and Treasurt Secretary Janet Yellen penned by Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Ben Cardin, Senate Armed Services Committee chair Jack Reed and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner.

The Biden administration has issued three rounds of sanctions against violent settlers and additional batches are expected in the coming weeks and months, US officials tell The Times of Israel.

Israel has failed to crack down on settler violence, which has intensified since October 7, leading the Biden administration to issue an executive order allowing these financial sanctions for the first time.