US official hints further sanctions in pipeline as Israel fails to check settler violence

WASHINGTON — A senior Biden administration official indicates that more sanctions are on the horizon against Israeli extremists over attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“We have taken actions in terms of sanctioning entities and individuals. That remains a viable tool going forward,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says in an interview with The Times of Israel.

The past week has seen several settler attacks against Palestinians, including a pair of rampages that resulted in two deaths. No arrests were made in the most recent attack last night. Indictment in such cases are highly rare and convictions even more so.

The head of the Shin Bet security service has been quoted lamenting in private meetings that the Israel Police overseen by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is refusing to crack down on the phenomenon.

The lack of Israeli enforcement has led a handful of Western countries — led by the US — to begin issuing their own sanctions against Israeli extremists.

Asked if these sanctions have been effective in curbing the problem, Kirby responds, “There’s still settler violence, so that’s deeply concerning. As President Biden has made clear, it is unacceptable and we’ve condemned it in every case.”

“We don’t look at any one tool in the toolbox as a panacea. It doesn’t mean that we want to ignore it, either, so we have issued sanctions,” the White House spokesperson says.

“What really needs to happen here is sound leadership decisions there in Israel to stop this violence,” he continues. “I can’t rule out sanctions in the future.”

Sanctions “remains a tool (at our disposal), as well as the intense diplomacy that Secretary Blinken has been conducting on the ground with leaders to try to get the violence to stop,” Kirby adds.