On December 5, the State Department said that those who are suspected of using violence in the West Bank will not be granted visas to enter the country.
The policy, according to a statement from Blinken, is intended to go after “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 demanded that maintaining stability in the West Bank and reducing attacks from both sides be within the joint purview of the Palestinian Authority and the leadership of Israel. The announcement did not specify which specific visa restrictions would be imposed or how many, but as of Tuesday, bans have gone into effect.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the media on Tuesday that the phrase “settler violence” is misleading and disparaging because it only refers to a small number of people. Netanyahu was responding to questions regarding the visa suspension.
Senior US officials, including President Joe Biden, have cautioned time and again that Israel needs to take action to put an end to Israeli settlers’ violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. This violence has escalated since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
Blinken said, “We have made the Israeli government aware of the need to take more action to hold extremist settlers accountable who have attacked Palestinians in the West Bank with violence.”
Palestinian villages in the West Bank have long been the target of Israeli settler violence, which has increased throughout the past year as support for the movement has been signaled by Israel’s far-right cabinet, which is composed largely of ultranationalist settlers.
