Blinken Unveils Visa Restrictions for Extremists in the West Bank
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken introduces a policy aiming to curtail visas for West Bank settlers with extremist backgrounds, effectively preventing their entry into the United States
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, declared a new policy on Tuesday aimed at stopping extremist Israeli settlers, who have been involved in violence in the West Bank, from entering the United States.
"Instituting a new visa restriction policy, the State Department is focusing on individuals suspected of undermining peace, security, or stability in the West Bank, especially through violent acts or other actions that limit civilians' access to essential services and basic necessities," Blinken stated.
"Immediate family members of those individuals may also be impacted by these restrictions," he stated. Blinken mentioned that the State Department will enforce this policy for both Israelis and Palestinians involved in attacks in the West Bank.
Blinken refrained from identifying the individuals who will face visa restrictions, and did not specify the number of people to be affected in the first round of restrictions.
For weeks, administration officials have indicated their intention to implement these measures as the violence in the West Bank has escalated following the Hamas attack on October 7th.
Blinken has urged the Netanyahu government to take stronger action against the settlers responsible for the violence in his discussions with Israeli officials following the attack. "As President Biden has emphasized, those attacks are not acceptable. During my recent trip to Israel, I emphasized that the United States is prepared to take action using our own authorities," the top US diplomat reaffirmed in his Tuesday statement.
Blinken stated that the United States will actively pursue justice for all acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank, regardless of the perpetrator or the victim. He emphasized the need for Israel to take further action to safeguard Palestinian civilians from extremist assaults and called for increased efforts from the Palestinian Authority to address attacks against Israelis. Highlighting the shared responsibility of both parties in upholding stability in the West Bank, Blinken underscored that instability in the region poses a threat to the security interests of Israel and endangers the well-being of both Israeli and Palestinian populations. He insisted on holding those responsible for instability in the West Bank accountable.
