US-Israel: Netanyahu would oppose any penalties imposed on army forces

US-Israel: Netanyahu would oppose any penalties imposed on army forces

In 1999, the Netzah Yehuda battalion was established as a unique men-only force dedicated to serving ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Following rumors that the US intends to stop funding one unit, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has promised to oppose any penalties imposed on the armed forces of the nation.

"I'll battle it with everything I've got," the prime minister said on Sunday.

According to earlier reports on the Axios news website, the US is planning to target Israel's Netzah Yehuda unit for suspected abuses of human rights in the occupied West Bank.

The BBC is aware that such action would be subject to a US prohibition on providing assistance to foreign organizations that are substantiatedly involved in transgressions.

Speaking last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, "I've made determinations; you can expect to see them in the days ahead," in response to rumors that US military funding to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units might be discontinued due to accusations of violating human rights in the West Bank.

The primary ally of Israel, Washington, has never previously stopped providing support to an IDF unit.

Netzah Yehuda was acting in compliance with international law, according to the Israeli military.

According to the Reuters news agency, the military said, "Following publications about sanctions against the battalion, the IDF is not aware of the issue." "The IDF works and will continue to work in a legally compliant and pragmatic manner to investigate any unusual event."

"If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit of the IDF, I will fight it," Netanyahu said.

Three US individuals with knowledge of the situation were quoted by Axios on Saturday, indicating that Mr. Blinken was anticipated to take actions against Netzah Yehuda in the coming days.

It stated the action was due to allegations of abuses in the West Bank, citing one instance in which 80-year-old Omar Assad, a Palestinian-American, passed away after an incident in which Israeli troops had shackled and gagged him during a search in the West Bank in January 2022.

The US demanded a "thorough criminal investigation and full accountability" at the time of the incident.

The commander of Netzah Yehuda would be "reprimanded" by the IDF, which subsequently expressed sadness for Mr. Assad's death. It also said that two troops would not face legal action, but they would be prohibited from holding high posts for two years. It said that Assad's pre-existing medical condition was the reason of his death.

Many members of Mr. Assad's family who reside in the US disapproved with the decision to conclude the case.

All of the alleged infractions occurred prior to the Gaza Strip-based Hamas assault on Israel on October 7.

Senator Patrick Leahy supported the "Leahy Law" in 1997, which would decide whether to deny US military support to an IDF unit. It prohibits foreign military forces that are credibly involved in egregious human rights abuses from receiving US money or training.

A former senior US official told the BBC that last year, a group of US officials called the "Israel-Leahy vetting forum" investigated at least a dozen claims made against Israeli units, including the Netzah Yehuda brigade.

"We felt that most of these were un-remediated, meaning the offenders had not been appropriately held accountable," said Josh Paul, a former head of the Political-Military Affairs office inside the State Department, which is in charge of US weapons shipments.

"When we tried to advance those suggestions to the secretary [of state] we were never able to get them through the political level," he said.

In November, Mr. Paul announced his resignation from his job, citing a perceived lack of transparency around the shipment of weaponry to Israel. When asked whether the suggestions he had suggested had made it to Mr. Blinken's desk, he pointed to the latest media stories that seemed to indicate they had.

In 1999, the ultra-Orthodox Jews formed Netzah Yehuda, a unique men-only organization.

Ben Zion Gopstein, an Israeli far-right activist, was subject to penalties earlier this week by the state department. It said that he had "engaged in destabilizing violence affecting the West Bank" with his organization, Lehava.