Israel decried Saturday plant by the United States to sanction the IDF's Netzah Yehuda Battalion for what is said were violations of human rights in the West Bank.
"The IDF must not be sanctioned!" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew on X. "I've been working in recent weeks against the sanctioning of Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with the American administration. "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."
Minister Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet, too condemned the plan, saying, "The Netzah Yehuda Battalion is an inseparable part of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subject to military law and is responsible for operating in full compliance with International law. The State of Israel has a strong, independent judicial system that evaluates meticulously any claim of a violation or deviation from IDF orders and code of conduct, and will continue to do so.
"I have great appreciation for our American friends, but the decision to impose sanctions on an IDF unit and its soldiers sets a dangerous precedent and conveys the wrong message to our shared enemies during war time. I intend on acting to have this decision changed," Gantz wrote on X.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said he has made "determinations" regarding accusations that Israel violated a set of US laws, known as the Leahy Laws, that prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights.
Asked at a news conference in Italy about reports that the State Department has recommended the cutting off of military aid to certain Israeli security force units over possible human rights violations in the West Bank, Blinken did not outright confirm the reports but promised results very soon.
"I think you're referring to the so-called Leahy Law and our work under that," he responded. "So this is a very important law. And it's one that we apply across the board. And when we're doing these investigations, these inquiries, it's something that takes time. That has to be done very carefully, both in collecting the facts and analyzing them.
"And that's exactly what we've done. And I think it's fair to say that you'll see results very soon. I made determinations. You can expect to see them in the days ahead," Blinken said without elaborating.
The move will mark the first time Washington has taken such action against an IDF military unit.
