Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking out after the Biden-Harris administration slapped a sixth round of sanctions on Israelis on Wednesday, as part of an effort to appease anti-Israel critics on the political left.
“Israel views with utmost severity the imposition of sanctions on citizens of Israel. The issue is in a pointed discussion with the US,” Netanyahu said in a statement circulated by the Government Press Office.
The sanctions apply to an organization called Hashomer Yosh, which the Times of Israel describes as a group that “arranges for volunteers to provide help and support for at least 26 illegal farming outposts in the West Bank, among other activities.”
The Times of Israel adds:
At least two of the illegal outposts that the organization supports, Meitarim Farm and Moshe’s Farm, are run by US-designated individuals. The group has also provided support for Yinon Levi, Neriya Ben Pazi and Zvi Bar Yosef, who have all been designated by the US for their involvement in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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Hashomer Yosh has received over NIS 8 million ($2.2 million) from the Agriculture Ministry and the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Ministry since 2018 for its activities.
The sanctions are part of a Biden-Harris crackdown on “extremist” settlers, motivated in part by anti-Israel groups such as Democracy for the Arab World Now, and based on unconfirmed accusations.
The sanctions also further the agenda of the anti-Israel (and antisemitic) “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions” (BDS) movement. No such sanctions have been applied to the Palestinian Authority or Palestinian organizations.
The timing could not be worse in terms of U.S.-Israel relations, and comes as Israel is facing off against Hamas terrorists who have infiltrated the West Bank, while also anticipating attacks from Iran, Hezbollah, and other groups.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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