The United States has implemented a new visa restriction policy against several dozen extremist Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinian residents in the West Bank, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Tuesday. The move—which also affects Palestinians who have attacked Israelis in the occupied territory—is a sign of the White House’s unease over the escalating violence in the area and what it perceives as the right-wing Israeli government’s disinterest in curbing it.
Washington will prohibit entry into its territory to those who 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 said.
The U.S. “will continue to seek accountability for all acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank, regardless of the perpetrator or the victim,” Blinken added.
These attacks—which had already been on the rise over the past three years as a result of the Israeli government’s shift to the extreme right—have doubled since the start of the Israel-Hamas war two months ago, according to UN figures.
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