In a bid by the Biden administration to implement its anti-settlement policies in its final days, the administration has imposed sanctions on three Israeli construction companies operating in Judea and Samaria, as well as three individuals who are attempting to control lands in the region which the administration claims may belong to local Arabs.
The three companies sanctioned are the Amana construction company, as well Amana’s subsidiary Binyanei Bar Amana and the Judean Mountains Company, which are involved in construction throughout Judea and Samaria.
Additionally, sanctions were imposed on three Israelis. Shabtai Kushlevski was sanctioned for his activities in the organization Hashomer Yosh, which itself has been sanctioned in the past for protecting farmers on lands in the region from Bedouin infiltrators.
Itamar Yehuda Levi was sanctioned for his activities in the construction company Eyal Judean Mountains Company, as well as Zohar Sabah from the town of Mevo’ot Yericho, who was implicated in the attack on the Al-Ka’abneh elementary school near Jericho in September 2024 which injured several Palestinians at the school.
Amana founder Ze’ev Hever responded to the sanctions imposed on his company, stating that:
“The Amana Movement has been working for decades to develop and establish towns in the land legally, in coordination with state institutions, and in the spirit of the vision of the founders of the Zionist movement,” he said. “Last fall’s harsh events demonstrated how intertwined settlement and Israel’s security are, and how critical the national interest is in continuing to settle the land.”
“The sanctions we were informed of today are a result of baseless slanders hurled at Amana by hostile and extreme elements. Had the American administration bothered to examine them, rather than rely on such malicious publications, it would have discovered that they indeed lack factual basis and would have refrained from acting against us.
“The settlement enterprise has already faced difficult decrees in past years, including development freezes, but eventually emerged stronger from them. This will also happen this time. We are confident that with the change of administration in Washington, and the right and necessary action by the Israeli government, all sanctions will be lifted, and the settlement will return to fulfilling the Zionist vision.”
The head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, Israel Ganz, responded: “In its last days, the outgoing American administration chooses to strengthen the axis of evil and weaken Israel, acting against liberty, against justice, against the Bible, against Israel. We will win!”
Samaria Regional Council governor Yossi Dagan committed to working with the incoming US government to cancel the sanctions and expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s silence in the face of the sanctions.
Dagan criticized the Biden administration, stating, “The decision to impose sanctions on the Amana company – this is the swan song of the Biden administration. It is a hostile and cynical act towards the only democracy in the Middle East, a government that dares to extort its strategic partner, the state of Israel, which is fighting for its survival, through denial of armaments, now dares to attack the bodies and organizations of the State of Israel.”
“Both those who love Israel and those who hate Israel both understand well that there is not one ounce of substantive consideration here, it’s all cynical politics, this is a transparent attempt by Biden and Harris to embarrass the elected president Trump,” Dagan accused.
“We will work with all our might to throw these decisions to the trash can of history, immediately after the inauguration of the new president and government.
“The silence of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, when the citizens of the country and Israeli organizations are harmed in this way, is unacceptable. The role of the Israeli Prime Minister in this situation is to stand firm against the intolerable attack on the sovereignty of the State of Israel and against this ruthless and indiscriminate harm to official bodies and organizations in the state. The people expect to see the Prime Minister fight against the sanctions. Amana was building before Harris and Biden, and it will exist and will build long after these two cynical politicians are forgotten by the world.”
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