Israel aghast as US said poised to sanction IDF unit with history of abuses

[Valletta]

“At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to issue sanctions against a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” he (Netanyahu) added, committing to fight the move.
Centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law. He added that Israel has “strong and independent” courts capable of dealing with alleged violations.
“We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war,” Gantz said, while pledging to “take action so this decision does not pass.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/

People need to be deeply concerned about foreign influences on our country. The Biden administration, in fact the Democratic Party, as well as our universities have been infiltrated by those pushing radical Islam and those pushing spinoffs of Marxism. Countries from Qatar to China have tried to undermine our government. The U.S. is in absolutely no position to dictate to any country's military, let alone a country that was attacked in such a savage manner. It seems like foreign interference is behind this ill-advised decision by the Biden administration.

 

[timothyu]

From the beginning of their existence the Hebrew people have identified as being victims. Whether this is politically advantageous is subjective.

 

[Valletta]

From the beginning of their existence the Hebrew people have identified as being victims. Whether this is politically advantageous is subjective.

They have been violently attacked many times, the very definition of being a victim. Whether the massacre was politically advantageous is irrelevant, it happened and Israel must deal with it in order to survive.

 

[timothyu]

Just to clarify, I was referring to the last 3500 years or so.

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

From the beginning of their existence the Hebrew people have identified as being victims. Whether this is politically advantageous is subjective.

Like when they were slaves in Egypt? I don't think it needs much to "identify as being victims" when you are treated like the Hebrew people have been treated throughout history.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

“At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to issue sanctions against a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” he (Netanyahu) added, committing to fight the move.
Centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz joined the criticism, saying the infantry unit was “an integral part of the IDF” and was bound by military and international law. He added that Israel has “strong and independent” courts capable of dealing with alleged violations.
“We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war,” Gantz said, while pledging to “take action so this decision does not pass.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-aghast-as-us-said-poised-to-sanction-notorious-idf-unit-netanyahu-a-moral-low/

People need to be deeply concerned about foreign influences on our country. The Biden administration, in fact the Democratic Party, as well as our universities have been infiltrated by those pushing radical Islam and those pushing spinoffs of Marxism. Countries from Qatar to China have tried to undermine our government. The U.S. is in absolutely no position to dictate to any country's military, let alone a country that was attacked in such a savage manner. It seems like foreign interference is behind this ill-advised decision by the Biden administration.

This post is misleading. There is a law in place " Leahy Law" that sanctions ANY military unit who has committed a gross violation of human rights. Widely approved by both parties.

https://www.state.gov/key-topics-bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/human-rights/leahy-law-fact-sheet/

 

[Maria Billingsley]

.

 

[Fantine]

We can't dictate another country's policy but we can refuse to subsidize it. Bravo, President Biden.
I was glad to see that $17 billion of the $26 billion to Israel must be used for humanitarian purposes.
Let's subsidize saving lives threatened by genocidal maniacs instead.

 

[RDKirk]

This post is misleading. There is a law in place " Leahy Law" that sanctions ANY military unit who has committed a gross violation of human rights. Widely approved by both parties.

https://www.state.gov/key-topics-bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/human-rights/leahy-law-fact-sheet/

Not that the "Leahy Law" can be practically applied, if the government wants to evade it.

 

[timothyu]

I don't think it needs much to "identify as being victims"

Nobody denied that. It wasn't the point.

 

[Desk trauma]

People need to be deeply concerned about foreign influences on our country.

Unless it’s Israeli it seems.

The U.S. is in absolutely no position to dictate to any country's military, let alone a country that was attacked in such a savage manner. It seems like foreign interference is behind this ill-advised decision by the Biden administration.

Our financial and political support says otherwise.

 

[essentialsaltes]

On Saturday, Axios cited three US sources with knowledge of the issue as saying that Mr Blinken was expected to announce measures against Netzah Yehuda [an IDF unit in the West Bank] within days.

It said the move would be over alleged abuses in the West Bank, including one incident in which a Palestinian-American man, 80-year-old Omar Assad, died after being bound and gagged by Israeli soldiers during a search in the West Bank in January 2022.

All the alleged violations took place before the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Any decision to bar an IDF unit from US military assistance would be made under the "Leahy Law", sponsored in 1997 by then-Senator Patrick Leahy. It prevents US funding or training being used for foreign military units credibly implicated in gross human rights violations.

"We believed that in most cases, these were un-remediated - in other words, the perpetrators had not been properly held to account," said Josh Paul, former director of the state department's Political-Military Affairs bureau, which oversees US arms transfers.

Formed in 1999, Netzah Yehuda is a special men-only unit where ultra-Orthodox Jews serve.

Earlier this week, the state department imposed sanctions on Israeli far-right activist Ben Zion Gopstein. It said his organisation, Lehava, had "engaged in destabilising violence affecting the West Bank".

 

[RDKirk]

On Saturday, Axios cited three US sources with knowledge of the issue as saying that Mr Blinken was expected to announce measures against Netzah Yehuda [an IDF unit in the West Bank] within days.

It said the move would be over alleged abuses in the West Bank, including one incident in which a Palestinian-American man, 80-year-old Omar Assad, died after being bound and gagged by Israeli soldiers during a search in the West Bank in January 2022.

All the alleged violations took place before the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Any decision to bar an IDF unit from US military assistance would be made under the "Leahy Law", sponsored in 1997 by then-Senator Patrick Leahy. It prevents US funding or training being used for foreign military units credibly implicated in gross human rights violations.

"We believed that in most cases, these were un-remediated - in other words, the perpetrators had not been properly held to account," said Josh Paul, former director of the state department's Political-Military Affairs bureau, which oversees US arms transfers.

Formed in 1999, Netzah Yehuda is a special men-only unit where ultra-Orthodox Jews serve.

Earlier this week, the state department imposed sanctions on Israeli far-right activist Ben Zion Gopstein. It said his organisation, Lehava, had "engaged in destabilising violence affecting the West Bank".

Pinpointing unit-by-unit financial assistance to a foreign nation is more difficult (and can certainly be made more difficult) than it sounds.

 

[essentialsaltes]

US holds off on sanctioning Israeli military units accused of human rights violations in West Bank before start of war with Hamas​

The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank but will remain eligible for U.S. military aid regardless because of steps Israel says it's taking to address the problem, ABC News has learned.

Well okiedokie then.

 

[Valletta]

US holds off on sanctioning Israeli military units accused of human rights violations in West Bank before start of war with Hamas​

The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank but will remain eligible for U.S. military aid regardless because of steps Israel says it's taking to address the problem, ABC News has learned.

Well okiedokie then.

Isn't that sad, all of the billions Joe and Obama let Iran have and they infiltrate our country with jihadist propagandists.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Isn't that sad, all of the billions Joe and Obama let Iran have and they infiltrate our country with jihadist propagandists.

No, it's sad that the Biden Administration will turn a blind eye to "gross human rights violations".

As for "jihadist propagandists", I advise you not to make such insinuations.

 

[Valletta]

No, it's sad that the Biden Administration will turn a blind eye to "gross human rights violations".

As for "jihadist propagandists", I advise you not to make such insinuations.

It's not a secret. How do you interpret the chant "Death to America!"

 

[essentialsaltes]

It's not a secret.

Where are these overt jihadist propagandists?

 

[essentialsaltes]

US holds off on sanctioning Israeli military units accused of human rights violations in West Bank before start of war with Hamas​

The Biden administration has determined that three military battalions with the Israel Defense Forces committed "gross human rights violations" against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank

Did I say three? I meant five.

US determines 5 Israeli security units committed human rights violations before outbreak of Gaza war​

The US State Department has determined that five Israeli security units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the outbreak of the war with Hamas in Gaza, but is still deciding whether to restrict military assistance to one of the units under US law.

 

[rambot]

It's not a secret. How do you interpret the chant "Death to America!"

How do you interpret "Nuke Gaza"?