By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
27 April
2024
Because of violations of human rights in the
occupied West Bank, the US is thinking of imposing penalties on the Israeli
army's "Netza Yehuda" battalion. If the sanctions are implemented, it
will be the first time that the US has punished an Israeli army brigade for
human rights violations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
expressed opposition to any sanctions imposed on Israeli military forces. Will
the US actually be successful in its consideration? is a question.
------
The US is
considering sanctions on the "Netza Yehuda" battalion of the Israeli
army, a unit of ultra-orthodox Jewish youth within the Israel Defence Forces
(IDF), due to human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank. According to the
New York Times, the restrictions may have an impact on one or more Israeli
battalions. If sanctions are levied, this will be the first time the US
administration has ever done so against an Israeli army battalion for violating
human rights. As a result, the battalion will not be eligible to receive
military assistance or training from the US. However, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would oppose any sanctions imposed on
Israeli military forces for purported human rights violations.
The Brief
Information About The Netza Yehuda Battalion
Formerly
known as Nahal Haredi, the 97th Netza Yehuda Battalion is a component of the
Kfir Brigade of the Israel Defence Forces. Under Halakha regulations, this unit
enables Haredi Jewish males to serve in the IDF as combatants while maintaining
their religious views. The battalion's main operational zone is the West Bank.
The
battalion was formed in 1999 as the result of discussions between the IDF and
Haredi educators that lasted eighteen months, under the direction of Rabbi
Yitzhak Bar-Chaim of the Netza Yehuda organisation. When Netza Yehuda was
formed, it only had thirty soldiers at first. This unit is permanently
stationed in the West Bank, unlike other units that move around frequently. It
begins its deployment in the Jordan Valley and gradually expands to areas near
Jenin, Tulkarm, and Ramallah.
The Netza
Yehuda now numbers over a thousand guys. The IDF battalion uses a voluntary
recruitment process rather than drafts. It recruits fighters from a range of
backgrounds, including religious Zionism, ultra-orthodoxy, and Chardal
families, in addition to overseas volunteers. For the religious needs of their
soldiers, Netzah Yehuda bases carefully abide by Jewish dietary laws.
The Kfir
Brigade, including the Netza Yehuda Battalion, began participating in the Gaza
War in 2024. The battalion is fighting in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip.
In order to
preserve gender segregation and prevent any contacts between men and women that
are judged inappropriate, only the wives of soldiers and officers are permitted
among women on the Netza Yehuda bases.
The slogan
of the battalion is "V'haya Machanecha Kadosh," which translates to
"And Your camp shall be holy," highlighting the Torah's insistence on
cleanliness in a Jewish military camp. It is said that by doing this, one might
call upon divine assistance when fighting.
Will the United
States' idea of punishing the Netza Yehuda battalion truly serve to curb
Israeli settler violence?
Despite
focusing its punishment on Israeli settlers under President Biden, the US is
reportedly unable to stop Israeli settler violence against Palestinians.
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) reports that twenty Palestinian communities in the West Bank
have been attacked and forced to leave by Israeli settlers since October 7. The
Israeli attacks in Gaza, which have killed over 34,000 people and sparked
assertions of genocide, have obscured the forced expulsions of Palestinians and
the brutality perpetrated by Israeli settlers.
It is a
highly odd situation that the US government has decided to denounce Israeli
settler violence and stop providing military support to an Israeli army
battalion that is involved in serious human rights crimes. The USA supported
Israel while it massacred Gazans, severely violating their human rights, under
the guise of defence. In recent weeks, Israeli settler violence has increased
in spite of media reports that the US was going to punish the unit. The Israeli
settlers appear to be well aware that, despite appearing to talk about
penalties, the US will essentially do nothing to stop them from employing
violence.
The US's
consideration of imposing punishments on the Netza Yehuda battalion may not
effectively prevent Israeli settler violence. There are some reasons. The
United States vetoed a resolution to the Security Council that called for the
State of Palestine to be granted full UN membership amid the ongoing conflict
in the Gaza Strip. The US decided to maintain tight ties with Israel in spite
of its brutality and cruelty in Gaza, going against the wishes of other UN
members. It is hard to think the US will actually be able to stop Israeli
settler aggression.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have objected to the US action. As
close friends, Biden and Netanyahu will not stand in opposition to each other.
Israel seems to think that the United States of America won't be able to punish
its battalion, since the US president has already stated that he supports
Zionist Israel without reservation.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-west/us-sanctions-netza-yehuda-israeli-army-human-rights/d/132210
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic
Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism