Extremist Israeli settlers are nonstate armed actors

Overview:

The article from Brookings expert Jeffrey Feltman discusses the escalating violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and the implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It argues that these settlers should be considered nonstate armed actors (NSAA) and suggests that the U.S. should take stronger actions against them, similar to measures used against Palestinian terrorism.​

Key Points:

1. The article highlights the increase in violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, particularly after the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.
2. It notes that the U.S. has announced visa restrictions against Israelis and Palestinians undermining peace in the West Bank, but argues that more action is needed.
3. The article suggests that the U.S. should treat extremist Israeli settlers as NSAA and employ mechanisms like freezing financial accounts and imposing sanctions.
4. It proposes widening the target net to include American citizens involved in group attacks on Palestinian civilians and seizing assets of U.S.-based groups funding extremist settler groups.
5. The article also recommends building coalitions with like-minded countries to coordinate multinational measures against extremist settler violence.​

What They Discuss:

• Extremist Israeli settlers aim to drive Palestinians out of the West Bank, particularly from Area C, which is under full Israeli civilian and military control.
• The Israeli government, particularly under the current Netanyahu administration, has been accused of endorsing the goals of these settlers and failing to prosecute them for attacks on Palestinians.
• The article argues that the actions of these settlers constitute ethnic cleansing and pose a risk of igniting a third Palestinian intifada.

What They Recommend:

• The U.S. should expand its mechanisms used against Palestinian terrorism to include actions against extremist Israeli settler groups.
• Measures could include freezing financial accounts, imposing sanctions, and seizing assets of groups funding the violence.
• The U.S. should collaborate with international partners to build coalitions against settler violence and hold Israeli government officials accountable if they aid and abet such violence.

This is a brief overview of the article from Brookings on extremist Israeli settlers as nonstate armed actors. For complete insights, we recommend reading the full article.