Trump lifts sanctions on Israeli settler groups imposed by Biden administration
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 22: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump smiles during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. The annual four day conference geared toward energizing and connecting conservative youth hosts some of the country's leading conservative politicians and activists. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump on Monday reversed sanctions imposed by the previous Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of perpetrating violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The rescission was confirmed on the White House’s official website.
The sanctions, authorized under Executive Order 14115 on February 1, 2024, targeted individuals and entities deemed to be “Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank.”
These measures had frozen US-based assets and prohibited American citizens from conducting business with the sanctioned parties.
Trump’s decision marks a significant policy shift, rolling back a major Biden-era action aimed at addressing settler violence and land appropriations in the West Bank.
During Biden’s presidency, US officials urged Israel to curb settler extremism, which was seen as detrimental to prospects for a two-state solution.
The Biden administration had cited growing concerns over settler violence and land grabs, which many Western allies viewed as exacerbating tensions and undermining peace efforts.
Israel’s West Bank settlements, established since the 1967 Middle East war, are widely regarded as illegal under international law—a position Israel contests, citing historical and Biblical ties to the land.
Trump’s stance on Israeli settlements aligns with his first-term policy, which in 2019 reversed the longstanding US position deeming the settlements illegal. This position was reinstated by Biden before Trump’s recent rollback.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society says it has treated at least 12 people for injuries after Israeli settlers rampaged through two occupied West Bank villages north of Jerusalem, where Palestinian homes, a nursery, and a local business were burned.
