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Trump reverses Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.

On his first day back in office, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to reverse the sanctions imposed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

The sanctions policy, enacted by Biden through an executive order on February 1, 2023, was aimed at curbing settler violence, which he argued destabilized the West Bank and harmed U.S. interests in the region.

However, the rollback of these sanctions became a priority for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which had raised the matter with Trump’s transition team over recent months.

Trump’s decision to rescind the sanctions was one of several policy reversals he enacted just hours after his inauguration, signing a series of executive orders during a rally attended by thousands of supporters and later at the White House.

Among those in attendance at Trump’s inauguration was Yisrael Gantz, head of the Yesha Council, an umbrella group of settler mayors, highlighting the shift in U.S. policy toward West Bank settlements.

Biden’s sanctions had targeted 17 individuals and 16 entities involved in violent attacks against Palestinians and land dispossession, including illegal outposts and associates of far-right cabinet members like Itamar Ben Gvir.

The sanctions culminated in designating Amana, a key arm of the settler movement, marking a significant blow to its operations.

 

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