State Secretary Antony Blinken told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant the United States was ending its investigation into a controversial IDF battalion without sanctions.
The IDF’s 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion was accused of abuses against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank in a period before Oct. 7. The U.S. announced it would be sanctioning the unit over the alleged abuses in April before quickly backtracking a week later to continue the investigation amid strong criticism. The saga seemingly concluded Friday when Blinken announced its end, according to a report from Axios.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the outlet the decision was made after Israeli authorities presented evidence showing that steps were taken to ensure that abuses by IDF soldiers and the unit specifically were remediated.
“As we made public in April, the Department of State found after a careful review that incidents of gross violations of human rights by two units of the Israeli Defense Forces and two civilian authority units had been effectively remediated,” Miller said.
“The Department has for the past several months continued to review an additional unit to evaluate new information provided by the Government of Israel,” he continued. “After thoroughly reviewing that information, we have determined that violations by this unit have also been effectively remediated. Consistent with the Leahy process, this unit can continue receiving security assistance from the United States of America.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for comment.
The alleged crimes that originally caused the unit to be targeted for sanctions were committed before Oct. 7 and took place in the West Bank, unrelated to the conflict with Hamas.
Among the human rights abuses cited was its involvement in the death of elderly Palestinian-American Omar Assad, who died after he was handcuffed, gagged, and forced to lie on his stomach for an extended period. Israel launched an investigation into the incident but decided against pursuing criminal charges against anyone involved, choosing only to “reprimand” one of the commanders.
The battalion is made up of ultra-Orthodox Jews with an emphasis on accommodating their religious practices. Following the low enlistment rates among ultra-Orthodox Jews, the battalion recently began to accept far-right youth who were rejected from other combat units. It has not been involved in active combat operations in Gaza.
Gallant was quick to undercut the justification for sanctions against the unit shortly after the original sanctions were announced, portraying the move as an attack against the entire IDF.
“Harming one battalion is damage to the entire IDF — this is not the way to behave with partners and friends,” Gallant said. “[T]his could be a cry for generations and open a dangerous door for this type of action.”
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The sanctions against the unit would prohibit it from receiving any U.S. military aid, participating in activities receiving U.S. funding, and taking part in training with the U.S. military.
The Biden-Harris administration has sought to balance its own support for Israel with the concerns of left-wing voters, who allege Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. So far, they have been outraged at the administration’s handling of the war, and many are threatening to withhold their votes in November if changes are not made.