Why the US may impose its first ever sanctions on an Israeli military unit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the possibility of sanctions on a Israel Defense Forces battalion 'the peak of absurdity and a moral low'

The administration of US President Joe Biden is planning to announce sanctions against the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF's) Netzah Yehuda battalion for alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, the Axios news site reported last week, sparking protests from Israeli leaders who say they will fight against sanctions being imposed on any Israeli military unit.

This would be the first time the US has ever taken such a step against Israel's defence forces.

Israeli leaders have expressed anger over reports of the sanctions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the possibility of sanctions on the battalion "the peak of absurdity and a moral low" at a time when Israel is fighting a war against Hamas. Netanyahu has added that his government will "act by all means" against any such move. Meanwhile, the IDF has said that the battalion is an active combat unit that follows the principles of international law.

 

What is the Netzah Yehuda battalion?

Netzah Yehuda, or Judea Forever, is a special unit of the IDF for ultra-Orthodox Jewish soldiers.

The Netzah Yehuda battalion was set up in 1999 to accommodate the religious beliefs of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who often receive special exemptions from compulsory military service, and other religious nationalist recruits in the army.

The unit was formed to encourage religious men to serve in Israel's military by allowing them to maintain their religious practices, such as limiting their exposure to female soldiers and giving them time for prayers and religious studies.

However, its members have been implicated in cases of abuse in the past.

What is the Netzah Yehuda unit accused of? 

The Netzah Yehuda battalion has been at the centre of several controversies in the past connected to violence and right-wing extremism against Palestinians.

However, one case in particular is at the centre of the unit's troubles.

The US had called for a criminal investigation into Netzah Yehuda soldiers after they were accused of being involved in the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, Omar Assad.

Assad died of a heart attack in 2022 after being detained, blindfolded, handcuffed, and later abandoned in near-freezing conditions by the battalion's soldiers.

An autopsy found that Assad had died from a stress-induced heart attack, allegedly brought on by being manhandled.

Assad's dual nationality and age meant that his case attracted significant attention, with the US State Department demanding an investigation into his death.

According to the IDF, because Assad refused to cooperate, Netzah Yehuda soldiers had temporarily gagged him with a strip of cloth and cuffed his hands with a zip tie.

While the battalion's commander was reprimanded and two officers dismissed, the Israeli military decided to not pursue criminal charges, stating that there was no link between Assad's death and the errors made by the soldiers.

The Israeli military's medical officials were of the view that it was impossible to determine that Assad's death was caused specifically by the soldiers and that they could not have known of his medical condition.  

However, there have been other incidents over the years where Netzah Yehuda soldiers have been accused of, and even charged with, abusing Palestinian detainees.

In December 2022, Israel shifted the Netzah Yehuda unit out of the West Bank. However, it denied it did so due to the behaviour of the unit's soldiers. Since then, the unit has served mostly in Israel's northern region. Israel has also deployed the battalion to the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war against Hamas.

What is the rationale behind possible sanctions?   

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had made "determinations" regarding accusations that Israeli forces had violated US laws.

The Leahy Laws prohibit providing military assistance to security force units or individuals that have commited gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice.

Blinken had said that an announcement in this regard could be made "very soon".

(With agency inputs)