Trump Overturns Biden's Executive Order That Enabled Him to Sanction Israeli Settlers in West Bank - Israel News - Haaretz.com
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump, in one the first executive orders of his presidency, revoked former U.S. President Joe Biden's order that cleared the path for several rounds of sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers.
The move offered a swift overriding of what was one of Biden's key measures concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as one of his only groundbreaking punitive measures meant to hold Israel accountable at a time of increasing tensions.
"To commence the policies that will make our Nation united, fair, safe, and prosperous again, it is the policy of the United States to restore common sense to the Federal Government and unleash the potential of the American citizen. The revocations within this order will be the first of many steps the United States Federal Government will take to repair our institutions and our economy," read Trump's order, which led to the overwriting of nearly 80 Biden executive orders.
Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Senate confirmation hearing last week that he would not issue any new sanctions under the order, while Israeli officials directly raised the matter with Trump transition officials as one of their key asks for the incoming administration.
The U.S. issued several rounds of sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers since February on the grounds it endangered the stability of the West Bank, including landmark punitive measures against a private Israeli company involved in settlement construction after years of pressure on successive administrations to do more to combat the ills contributing to the West Bank's instability.
In the short term, it could also be viewed as an acknowledgement of coalescing Democratic pressure that the status quo in the West Bank is untenable – especially considering nearly 90 congressional Democrats specifically implored Biden to sanction Amana before he leaves office.
Trump's order, therefore, wipes off the board all the sanctions under the order, relegating Biden's efforts to a blip on the radar. This fits into the greater debate on Biden's legacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A legacy still being written in real time after years of deprioritization, followed by the October 7 attacks and everything that ensued after.
Israeli settlers scuffle with Palestinian demonstrators near the West Bank city of Nablus in 2020.Credit: Majdi Mohammed/AP
Two dual U.S.-Israeli citizens previously sanctioned by Biden sued the administration over his allegedly "unconstitutional" executive order targeting extremist Israeli settlers, particularly concerning their status as dual citizens.
Seventeen individuals and 16 entities were designated in eight separate batches in the 11 months since Biden unveiled the order.
Biden formally stated earlier this month that he was extending his executive order that cleared the path for sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers for an additional 12 months, beyond the emergency order's original expiration date of February 1, 2025.
"The situation in the West Bank - in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction - has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region," he wrote in a formal notice.
A protester holds her Pro-Palestinian sign protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, during an hour-long silent protest on the school's campus, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Hattiesburg, Miss.Credit: Rogelio V. Solis,AP
Trump has also revoked Biden's executive order terminating Trump-imposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court. It is unclear, however, whether this effectively means U.S. sanctions first instituted under Trump are now back in place or whether he plans on formally reinstating the sanctions — either through a new executive order or through Congressional legislation.
An additional executive order meant to "protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public threats" is undeniably meant to apply to pro-Palestinian protesters across America, particularly on college campuses.
"To protect Americans, the United States must be vigilant during the visa-issuance process to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or our national interests. More importantly, the United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States," the order reads.
"And the United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security," it continues.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a statement praised Trump's decision, saying that he thanks the president "for his just decision."
"These sanctions were a severe move of foreign interference in Israel's internal affairs, harming the principles of democracy and the mutual relationship between two friendly nations," Smotrich added.
"Israel looks forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation that would enable the strengthening of its national security, the expansion of settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel and enhancing Israel's international status," he said.