Senator Calls for More West Bank Sanctions

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., urged the Biden administration July 23 to expand the scope of sanctions on entities and people who undermine peace and stability in the West Bank.

“Time is of the essence to prevent the situation from spiraling even further out of control,” Van Hollen said in a Senate floor speech a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress.

The senator repeated his view that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich should be among the additional sanctions targets, saying the official has fomented instability by cutting off tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority (see 2406040070).

Van Hollen’s comments came less than two weeks after the U.S. sanctioned three more Israelis and five more Israeli entities for their involvement in violence or threats of violence against West Bank Palestinians (see 2407110018). The administration has announced several rounds of such sanctions since February.