Blinken announces visa restrictions on Israeli settlers over attacks in the occupied West Bank

[Donkees]

In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned “extremist settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank”.

The top diplomat said that the US would deny visas to anyone involved in “undermining peace, security or stability in the West Bank” or who takes actions that “unduly restrict civilians’ access to essential services and basic necessities”.

The statement added that immediate family members may also be subject to the restrictions.

Blinken added he had “underscored” that Israel was not doing enough to stem settler violence in the occupied West Bank, which rights groups say has spiked amid the war.

He added Washington would also “continue to engage the Palestinian Authority to make clear it must do more to curb Palestinian attacks against Israelis”.

Link to tweet

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/12/5/israel-hamas-war-live-israeli-attacks-on-southern-gaza-reach-new-depths

[multigraincracker]

1. About time.

Illegal settlements. Don’t hear much about that.

[womanofthehills]

3. Lots of online videos are really very bad

And they keep increasing. We are watching old women kicked out of their houses, settlers damaging houses and just going into yards smashing cars, streets being blocked off so grade school kids can’t get home after school etc - but the worse are the soldiers dragging away little 5 & 6 yr old boys with their siblings and mothers hanging onto the kids.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended

Thanks for the thread Donkees.

[Happy Hoosier]

4. Good. NT

[tritsofme]

5. Seems like a smart but symbolic change.

Unless I’m missing something, the only way they could be identified would be charges from Israeli authorities.

And those pending charges or conviction would likely already preclude them from being granted a visa.