Israel will reject US sanctions on army units

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would reject any sanctions imposed on his country’s military.

Mr. Netanyahu said.

“I will fight it with all my strength,” he said on Sunday.

Earlier, the US media Axios news site reported in a news release that the Israeli army’s Netza Yehuda Battalion will be banned for alleged human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Asked about the veracity of reports that U.S. military aid to Israel Defense Force (IDF) units accused of human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank could be cut, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said last week, “I’ve made a decision, and you’ll see that in the coming days.”

Washington, known as Israel’s main ally, has never before suspended aid programs for IDF units.

The Israeli military said Netza Yehuda conducted its operations in accordance with international law.

“The IDF has not yet been informed of the reports of sanctions against the battalion,” Reuters quoted Israel’s military news agency as saying.

The Israeli military also said, “The IDF operates in accordance with the law and if any unusual incident occurs, it will be investigated.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant called on the United States to lift sanctions on Netza Yehuda.

The world has seen that the relationship between the United States and Israel is closer than ever, he said.

“Any attempt to criticize the performance of one unit will have a negative impact on the performance of the entire IDF,” said Mr. gallant “It is not the right path for partners and friends,” he added.

US media Axios news site last Saturday cited three US sources as saying that Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken is expected to announce action against the IDF’s Netza Yehuda unit within days.

The report also said that the US is taking action against the IDF battalion for alleged human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Among the many allegations of human rights abuses leveled against the unit is the killing of Omar Asad, a US citizen of Palestinian descent.

During a search operation in the occupied West Bank in January 2022, the 80-year-old Mr. Assad’s hands and feet were allegedly tied and strangled by Israeli soldiers.

After the news broke, the United States called for a “thorough investigation and prosecution” of the incident.

However, Israel said that the IDF had no hand in Mr. Assad’s death. It was said that due to physical illness Mr. Asad is dead.

Still Mr. The IDF was said to be saddened by Assad’s death.

In addition, the IDF said that the commander of the operation, Netza Yehuda, had been “reprimanded”.

They also said that as punishment, two members of the unit would be removed from the senior ranks of the force for two years.

But no case will be filed against them.

Mr. Many of Assad’s family now reside in the United States. They condemned the Israeli decision not to prosecute the accused.

It should be noted that these allegations of human rights violations against the IDF occurred before October 7.

The action against the IDF for alleged human rights violations will be brought under the US “Leahy Act”. The Act was introduced in 1997 by then US Senator Patrick Leahy.

Actions are usually taken under this law when there are credible allegations of human rights abuses against forces that the United States funds or trains in other countries.

Last year, a group of US officials known as the “Israel-Lehi Vetting Forum” looked into at least a dozen allegations against several units of the Israeli military, including the Netza Yehuda Battalion. A former senior US official confirmed this to the BBC.

“What we do is that in most cases those allegations are not investigated or the perpetrators are not properly prosecuted,” Josh Paul told the BBC.

Mr. Paul is the former Director of the Political-Military Affairs Bureau of the US State Department. This bureau oversees US arms transfers.

“When we tried to reach the (US) Secretary of State with the recommendations, we never got through politically,” he added.

Mr. Paul sees a lack of accountability regarding arms transfers to Israel. He resigned last November in protest.

He finally made recommendations to Mr. When asked whether it had reached Blinken’s desk, he cited recent media reports.

He was saying that he submitted the suggestions mentioned in the news.

Israel’s Netza Yehuda Battalion, formed in 1999, is a special unit in which only radical Jewish men are allowed to serve.

Earlier this week, the US State Department imposed sanctions on Ben Zion Gopstein, an activist with an Israeli right-wing organization.

It said his organization Lehava was “engaged in destabilizing the West Bank by inciting violence.”