Sanctions on Individuals and Entities Contributing to Violence and Instability in the West Bank

The United States has consistently opposed actions that undermine stability in the West Bank and the prospects for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.  Today, we are imposing sanctions on three Israeli individuals and five entities connected to acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank.

One of the targets of today’s sanctions action is Lehava, an organization led by U.S.-designated Ben Zion Gopstein that has been involved in acts of violent extremism.  Lehava’s members have engaged in repeated acts of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas.   Additionally, we are imposing sanctions on four outposts that are owned or controlled by U.S.-designated individuals who have weaponized them as bases for violent actions to displace Palestinians.  Outposts like these have been used to disrupt grazing lands, limit access to wells, and launch violent attacks against neighboring Palestinians.

The United States remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security.  We strongly encourage the Government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable.  In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures.

The financial sanctions actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 14115, “Imposing Certain Sanctions on Persons Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank.  The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) concurrently issued an alert related to the financing of Israeli extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.  This alert supplements the one issued February 1, 2024 and provides additional red flags to assist U.S. financial institutions in identifying and reporting suspicious activity that finances West Bank violence. For more information, please see the Department of State’s fact sheet and FinCEN Alert.  Financial institutions with questions about the content of today’s supplemental alert should contact the FinCEN Regulatory Support Section at [email protected].