A draft law in Congress: US sanctions on Netanyahu and his ministers because of the settlements

Washington - Ofoq News - Six Democratic members of Congress are preparing to submit a bill called the “Settlement Stopping Law” today, Thursday.

The draft law stipulates the imposition of sanctions on any foreign party, non-American, that participates in establishing new settlements or settlement outposts in the West Bank, including Israeli officials and ministers, all the way up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This proposal has the support of 40 members, including prominent members of the mainstream. According to the law, the penalties will range from freezing assets, canceling visas, and banning entry to the United States.

Unlike previous sanctions, this proposal targets senior officials and officials in government bodies, not just settlers.

Moreover, it includes moving from labeling products coming from the West Bank to a complete boycott, a policy more stringent than that adopted by European countries.

These sanctions are mandatory imposed on any foreign entity that participates in establishing new settlements and settlement outposts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, or in the infrastructure necessary for their expansion, or in construction work in the exclusive economic zone, or in transporting settlers to the settlements.

There will also be the possibility of imposing banking sanctions on those who maintain or expand existing settlements, and even on those who participate indirectly.

The law, as currently drafted, may apply to senior Israeli government officials, but it excludes American citizens, including dual citizenship settlers. In addition, the law does not define the concept of “settlement,” and East Jerusalem is not mentioned in it. The President will determine the list of prohibited places.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, this proposal is not expected to pass in the current Congress, given the Republican majority and the Trump administration. But partisan support for Israel, a strategic asset for decades, is fading fast.

Joaquín Castro, one of the bill's sponsors, explicitly stated "the next Congress," and the question was no longer if the proposal would pass, but when.

Indeed, a senior official in the Democratic Party linked the passage of the law to the results of the Israeli elections. According to him, the ability of senior Democratic officials to block the law “depends entirely on the continuation of the current coalition. If it continues, these laws will be passed.”