U.S. identifies five Israeli security units as responsible for abusing human rights prior to the start of the Gaza conflict.
The US is reviewing whether to withhold aid from a young militia group in Israel, named ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda battalion, amid allegations that one of its past actions resulted in the death of a Palestinian American. According to a State Department representative, Vedant Patel, four of the five troubled Israeli battalions have already addressed their human rights violations.
The State Department is still reviewing what actions to take against the remaining group. The Israelis have reportedly shared additional information about the Netzah Yehuda battalion, and the US is currently considering those actions to see if they meet the requirements to avert any sentencing.
It is important to note that these events took place in the West Bank and not in the Gaza Strip.
According to an anonymous source, the Israelis have informed the Americans about actions they've taken in response to the allegations, and the US is currently evaluating whether these actions are enough to stop restricting aid.
In a letter written to House Speaker Mike Johnson, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken labeled three of the five battalions as a part of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and two as “civilian authority units.” He also noted that the abuses took place in the West Bank. This letter was shared to explain the situation regarding the troubled Israeli battalions.
The Biden administration has faced criticism for seemingly capitulating to the Israeli government's demands to postpone any penalty measures against the battalion. Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, along with other high-ranking officials, strongly criticized the impending actions from the US.
In a social media post, Netanyahu described the potential sanctions as "the height of absurdity and a moral low." He added that his government would do everything in its power to oppose such moves.
Spokesperson Patel rejected the notion that the Jewish state was being favored by the US. He stated that their current actions align with the Leahy process, a law that prohibits US assistance to foreign security units involved in human rights violations unless the responsible parties are held accountable.
The Leahy process has an exception that allows the restoration of aid to a unit if the US Secretary of State determines they are taking suitable measures to ensure justice for the perpetrators. However, for one of the IDF battalions, Blinken announced that there's no sign of any remedial action taken yet.
The unit in question has been reportedly moved from the West Bank to the Golan Heights in 2022. The incident in question involved a 78-year-old Palestinian American, Omar Assad, who died due to a heart attack after being held, bound, and silenced. While no soldiers were charged with Assad's death, Blinken's letter did not provide clarity on the battalion's new location or the state of its commander's employment status.
The letter outlined how Israel presented new information about the Netzah Yehuda battalion, and the US is currently in discussions about how to fix this battalion's issues through effective remediation. Patel did not disclose the precise time at which this information was provided to the US.
Patel explained the Leahy process's requirement when he said the law mandates that respective countries take proper steps to ensure those responsible for the violations are held accountable. However, this proviso is not standardized between countries.
This story has been revised with further details.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
