Axios: The U.S. Will Not Impose Sanctions on the 'Nitzach Yehuda' Battalion of the Israeli Army

The news outlet Axios reported on Friday, August 10, that the United States will not impose sanctions on the 'Nitzach Yehuda' battalion and will end investigations into potential human rights violations by this military unit of the Israeli army in the West Bank. Axios cited two American officials who stated that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of this decision on Friday. Israeli media had previously reported that Washington was considering sanctions against this military battalion, which was created to integrate fully religious soldiers into the Israeli army, due to its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank. If sanctions were imposed, members of the 'Nitzach Yehuda' battalion would be barred from receiving any U.S. military aid. The possibility of sanctioning this military unit faced severe criticism from Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated on his social media account: 'The Israeli Defense Forces should not be sanctioned while our soldiers fight against terrorist monsters; the intention to impose sanctions on a unit of the Israeli army is sheer absurdity and a rare immorality.' Netanyahu emphasized, 'The government I lead will act with all its might against this action.' Source: Reuters. The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized the necessity of respecting human rights in all countries and rejected double standards in this regard. The calls from two Israeli ministers to the U.S. Secretary of State suggest speculation about attempts to reconsider the possibility of sanctions.