Trump cancels sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank

US President Donald Trump has rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the new White House website said.

According to the website Trump rescinded Executive Order 14115 issued on Feb 1, 2024, which authorised the imposition of certain sanctions “on Persons Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank”.

Trump’s decision is a reversal of a major policy action by former President Joe Biden’s administration which had slapped sanctions on numerous Israeli settler individuals and entities, freezing their US assets and generally barring Americans from dealing with them.

Trump’s approach to settlements was significantly different. During his first term in 2019, Trump had abandoned the long-held US position that the settlements are illegal before it was restored by Biden.

Israel Ganz, chairman of the main Yesha settler council who has close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters in October that he expected the sanctions to be lifted in the event of a Trump win.