OFAC Officially Removes West Bank Sanctions Authority, Designations
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Jan. 24 officially removed sanctions from all people and entities designated under a sanctions authority that had targeted violent Israeli settlers and organizations in the West Bank (see 2501210023). OFAC “removed the West Bank-Related Sanctions program from its website and removed all persons designated under” the West Bank-related executive order 14115, signed by President Joe Biden last year (see 2402010053), from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. “All property and interests in property blocked under E.O. 14115 are unblocked,” OFAC said.
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The move follows President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke the sanctions authority last week (see 2501210023).
Meanwhile, four lawmakers -- Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sean Casten, D-Ill. -- criticized Trump’s decision in a Jan. 23 statement, saying it will hurt efforts to secure peace in the region.
“With extremists in the West Bank and within the Netanyahu government continuing to enable settler violence and enact annexationist policies, it is clear these sanction authorities were merited -- and indeed, further sanctions are urgently needed,” the lawmaker said. “This move by President Trump will further destabilize what is already an incredibly tenuous situation and will damage the prospect of achieving peace, security, and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”