For the first time, four Jewish settlers considered responsible for violence in the West Bank have been targeted by American sanctions. On Thursday, February 1, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order that is limited in scope but sets a precedent. Noting "intolerable levels" of violence, the document mentions "the forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction." The four individuals are banned from entering the United States. They will no longer be able to manage at will any property or businesses they might own in the country, nor carry out financial transactions.

Given the men's profile, their lives will hardly be affected beyond their unexpected celebrity. But these sanctions confirm the White House's tougher approach to the issue, in light of Benjamin Netanyahu government's inaction. In early December 2023, the State Department adopted "a new visa restriction policy" targeting violent settlers.

The violence, committed with total impunity and with the Israeli army's protection, has been documented for years by human rights organizations and journalists. But the context has changed since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. By demonstrating solid support for Israel despite the terrible human and material toll in Gaza, the Biden administration finds itself in a risky position. Its diplomatic isolation is striking. Its military bases in the Middle East are under attack from armed groups. With nine months to go before the presidential election, Biden faces the threat of losing support from a portion of his base due to his pro-Israeli stance.

With this act, the White House was trying to signal that it is readjusting and to establish more consistency in a chaotic context. The timing was no coincidence: The executive order was published just hours before Biden was due to travel to Michigan, home to a large Arab-Muslim community of some 310,000 people.

In a statement, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made an unprecedented connection. He said that violence by Jewish settlers "threatens the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States." His choice of words acknowledged the obvious: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has expanded to take on a regional dimension since October 7, as illustrated by Houthi and pro-Iranian militia attacks against American forces in Syria and Iraq. The White House is preparing a series of strikes in response.

In reality, the Biden administration has not changed its strategy in the multifaceted Middle East crisis. The order of its priorities remains the same: avoiding a wider regional conflict, reaching an agreement concerning the hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for a one or two-month pause in military operations, and finally reviving the two-state solution. Unsurprisingly, the Israeli coalition considered Biden's decree an outrage. But discussions have been intensifying behind the scenes. Ron Dermer, Israel's minister of strategic affairs, met with Sullivan in Washington on Wednesday. Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns has remained in regular contact with his Mossad counterpart, David Barnea, regarding the hostages still being held.

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