Trump revokes Biden executive order imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers

By Jacob Magid

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21 January 2025, 2:58 am

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

A picture taken by Palestinian residents of Turmus Ayya purportedly of Israeli settlers who attacked the town on Saturday, January 11, 2025. One individual in the picture appears to be holding a slingshot. (Courtesy Turmus Ayya town council)

US President Donald Trump has revoked the executive order signed a year ago by his predecessor to impose sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

The decision is part of a slew of executive orders signed by Trump during his first day in office, rolling back various policies from the Biden administration.

Former president Joe Biden signed the order amid mounting frustration in Washington over Israel’s failure to rein in rampant settler violence.

For years, Israeli authorities largely ignored the phenomenon and the problem has only gotten worse under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest government. Outgoing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has dismissed the attacks as a non-issue and the top officer overseeing the West Bank is currently under investigation by the Justice Ministry for allegedly ignoring settler violence in order to please his boss and get promoted.

Through the executive order signed by Biden, 17 individuals and 16 entities were designated in eight separate batches over the past year.

Those sanctions have now all been lifted.

Notably, the move comes hours after another settler rampage in the northern West Bank village of al-Funduq.