Israeli leaders on Sunday strongly criticized an anticipated decision by the United States to impose sanctions on a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the Israeli military, warning that the move could further strain relations between the two allies, which have grown increasingly tense during Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
While U.S. officials declined to identify the unit expected to be sanctioned, Israeli leaders and local media identified it as Netzah Yehuda, an infantry battalion founded roughly 25 years ago to incorporate ultra-Orthodox men into the military.
The decision, expected as soon as Monday, would mark the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on a unit within the Israeli military.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to fight the decision “with all my might,” while former military chief and current member of Israel’s War Cabinet, Benny Gantz, called the expected decision a “mistake” that would harm Israel’s international legitimacy during wartime.
In 2022, the United States heavily criticized the Netzah Yehuda unit following the death of an elderly Palestinian-American man, Omar Assad, 78, shortly after his detention at a West Bank checkpoint.
A Palestinian autopsy revealed that Assad, who had underlying health conditions, suffered a heart attack caused by “external violence” and showed signs of physical abuse.
While the Israeli military acknowledged the incident as a “grave and unfortunate event” resulting from “moral failure and poor decision-making,” it decided against criminal prosecution, saying investigators could not directly link the soldiers’ actions to Assad’s death.
The expected U.S. sanctions have drawn strong reactions from Israeli leaders, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warning that punishing the unit could cast a shadow over the entire Israeli military.
Ultra-nationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the U.S. of crossing a “red line,” while Likud party member Tally Gotliv alleged antisemitism.
The U.S. review was launched before the current Gaza war and is not connected to recent Israeli actions in Gaza or the West Bank.
The U.S. has also recently imposed sanctions against violent settlers.
Credit: Associated Press
