US declares visa bans on Israel over West Bank violence

The US State of Department announced on December 5th that they will be implementing visa restrictions on Israeli settlers who are triggering violence in the occupied West Bank. 

Following October 7th, the frequency of violent Israeli attacks on the Palestinian population escalated significantly. According to Al Jazeera, this surge resulted in the death of at least nine Palestinians in the West Bank, marking a threefold increase compared to the figures reported in 2022. 

READ: France condemns Israel’s “policy of terror”in the West Bank

Anthony Blinken, the secretary of state, said “today, the State Department is implementing a new visa restriction policy targeting individuals believed to have been involved in undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank, including through committing acts of violence or taking other actions that unduly restrict civilians’ access to essential services and basic necessities.”

Blinken additionally emphasized that the Israeli government should implement further measures against extremist settlers who have perpetrated these crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Nevertheless, these violent acts have been occurring for a long time, predating October 7th, but they have notably intensified in the past year. Moreover, Palestinians have characterized settler violence as a component of a broader Israeli initiative to compel them to vacate their land.

Since the attack, Israel has been heavily bombing Gaza, resulting in the reported deaths of over 16,200 people and the displacement of the majority of Palestinians, according to Palestinian officials.

In 2018, Israel enacted a contentious legislation known as the nation-state law, which, among various provisions, designated Jewish settlement endeavors as a “national value” that the state would actively “encourage and promote.”

Reuters/Al Jazeera