The tune changed, ＂The US government decided not to impose sanctions.＂ – 上海后花园论坛,上海419论坛,爱上海龙凤419

Original Liu Chenghui Observer Network

The news that "the United States will sanction an Israeli army unit" has aroused public concern when Biden’s government’s Gaza policy has been criticized. However, after the strong rebound of Netanyahu’s government, things have changed.

The American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on April 26th that according to a letter from US Secretary of State Blinken to Speaker Johnson of the House of Representatives, although Biden’s government has "determined" that the relevant Israeli army has committed "serious human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, since the Israeli army is taking measures to solve the problem, Biden’s government will not impose sanctions on it and will continue to provide military assistance to this army.

According to the report, when Blinken sent a letter to Johnson, he outlined the Biden administration’s assessment of the incident. The letter was undated and the relevant assessment has not been made public.

Blinken wrote that the United States’ determination of the incident "will not delay any assistance provided by the United States" and "Israel will still receive full funding from the Congress".

Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the IDF "Netzah Yehuda Battalion" within a few days on the grounds that it has "violated human rights" in the West Bank, Axios News Network of the United States quoted three people familiar with the matter as saying on the 20th. If officially announced, it will be the first time that the United States has sanctioned Israeli military units, and the sanctions will prohibit the battalion and its members from receiving any form of American military assistance or training.

Data Map: On October 20, 2023, Israeli soldiers from Neza yehuda Battalion patrolled near the border of Gaza Strip. Photo from The Times of Israel

After the news came out, the Netanyahu government was "shocked" and its words were fierce. Netanyahu said that "sanctions against the Israeli army are unacceptable" and will lead the government to take all means to oppose this move. Two far-right ministers of the government even accused the United States of "seriously stepping on the red line" and described the US move as "simply crazy".

On the 22nd local time, Blinken said when answering a reporter’s question on this matter at a news conference: "Every situation is different. We must try our best to collect facts and follow them. This is what we are doing."

In 1997, Patrick Leahy, then US Senator, drafted a law prohibiting US foreign aid and training programs of the Ministry of National Defense from flowing to foreign security, military and police forces with reliable evidence of "human rights violations". This law was later called "Leahy Act".

However, according to Blinken’s letter, if a country "takes measures to bring those responsible to justice", it will be exempted from sanctions. According to the report, five units of "Camp Neza yehuda" were censored for human rights violations, including three military units and two civilian units. Blinken said in the letter that four of them have taken appropriate remedial measures.

In addition, Israel also "admitted" that another IDF battalion had engaged in "behavior" that did not conform to the rules. Blinken said that because of this, the unit was transferred from the West Bank to the Golan Heights in 2022.

US Secretary of State Blinken

"The Israeli government has provided new information about the situation of the unit, and we will work hard to determine the way to effectively remedy the unit." Blinken assured Johnson that "this will not affect our ability to support Israel against Hamas, Iranian, Hezbollah or other threats."

Blinken also said that there were no signs that other Israeli military units had violated the Leahy Law.

ABC quoted an insider who asked not to be named as saying that there is also a special agreement between the United States and Israel, which requires the United States to consult with Israelis before making any decision related to the Foreign Aid Law. The person familiar with the matter said that the consultation is still in progress.

Since the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October last year, the United States has sent a large number of weapons and ammunition to Israel, and repeatedly vetoed the draft resolution calling for a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel in the UN Security Council.

On April 20th, local time, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a foreign aid bill worth $95 billion. The bill includes more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and $26 billion in aid to Israel.

On the same day, Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudina issued a statement, pointing out that this action of the United States is in danger of escalating the situation in the region, which is an infringement on the Palestinian people and will give Israel a "green light" to expand the scope of the conflict to the whole region. The Palestinian side questioned the credibility of the United States in realizing security and stability in the Middle East. Rudena also stressed that Palestinian stability is the only way to achieve stability in the region and the world.