An investigation by Israel Hayom shows that with the exception of one of the seven, who was previously linked to violent incidents against Arabs, the other six were not known to the Shin Bet and Israel Police as having engaged in such conduct.
Three weeks after the US announced sanctions on four Israeli citizens because of "high levels of extremist settler violence", it turns out that only one of the four is known to the law enforcement authorities in Israel as having problematic conduct, Israel Hayom can report.
It also emerged that of the three Israelis punished by Britain, not a single one is known to the authorities. As a reminder, in early February, President Joe Biden issued an unprecedented executive order that led to the designation of four residents of Judea and Samaria, citing "high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction."
The American president added that he was imposing the sanctions on them because the actions "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."
Britain soon followed suit by taking similar steps against four Israelis, including one (Yinon Levy) who was also part of the US announcement.
As a result of these sanctions, the seven Israelis' bank accounts were frozen, their assets in the US and Britain were frozen, and they were banned from entering those countries. It should be noted that France also announced the imposition of sanctions against 28 Israelis, but did not publish their names.
An investigation by Israel Hayom shows that with the exception of one of the seven, who was previously linked to violent incidents against Arabs, the other six were not known to the Shin Bet and Israel Police as having engaged in such conduct.
Moreover, Israel Hayom learned that the Americans and British did not conduct any preliminary checks or consultations with the police and Shin Bet before imposing the sanctions. This, even though they have extensive ties with Israel's security agencies in a very wide range of areas.
Meanwhile, data received by Israel Hayom shows that in the fourth month of the Gaza war, there was a nearly 50% drop in incidents defined as "extreme violence" in Judea and Samaria, a downward trend that has continued since the start of the war on Oct. 7. These figures essentially debunk claims by the US on a supposed surge of settler violence.
Source - Israel Hayom/X - Image - Reuters