US Sanctions Fundraisers for Extremist West Bank Settlers Who Commit Violence against Palestinians

The US Treasury Department building, June 6, 2019, in Washington. (AP)
The US Treasury Department building, June 6, 2019, in Washington. (AP)
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US Sanctions Fundraisers for Extremist West Bank Settlers Who Commit Violence against Palestinians

The US Treasury Department building, June 6, 2019, in Washington. (AP)
The US Treasury Department building, June 6, 2019, in Washington. (AP)

The Biden administration on Friday imposed sanctions on two entities accused of fundraising for extremist Israel settlers already sanctioned, as well as the founder of an organization whose members regularly assault Palestinians.

The Treasury Department announcement comes as the West Bank has seen some of its worst violence perpetrated by extremist settlers against Palestinians since the war in nearby Gaza began.

There is also friction between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose far-right government has reacted angrily to previous sanctions imposed against West Bank settlers.

Included in the Friday sanctions are two entities — Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich — accused of raising funds for sanctioned settlers Yinon Levi and David Chai Chasdai.

Both men were previously sanctioned by the Biden administration for violently attacking Palestinians in the West Bank.

The penalties aim to block them from using the US financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them.

The fundraising campaigns established by Mount Hebron Fund for Levi and by Shlom Asiraich for Chasdai generated the equivalent of $140,000 and $31,000, respectively, according to US Treasury.

In Levi's case, the fund now sanctioned by the Biden administration is linked to the settler council in the area, a body that receives state money. The Biden order Friday stopped short of sanctioning the settler council itself.

Rights groups say that the expansion of illegal settler outposts in the West Bank is enthusiastically supported by the local settler councils and nudged along by Israel’s current national government — the most far-right in the country’s history.

The Biden order also skirted sanctioning crowdfunding websites where funds were raised, GiveChak and New York-based Charidy.

In Chasdai's case, the fundraiser on Charidy was organized by Shlom Asiraich, which raises money for imprisoned Jewish extremists.

Both online fundraisers have now been taken down. But at least one fundraiser linked to a settler previously sanctioned by the Biden administration, Moshe Sharvit, remains online. As of Friday, the page on GiveChak had raised the equivalent of over $879,000.

Additionally, the State Department is designating Ben-Zion Gopstein, the founder and leader of Lehava, an organization whose members have assaulted Palestinian civilians.

Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the organizations "undermine the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. We will continue to use our tools to hold those responsible accountable.”

In February, Biden issued an executive order that targets Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been accused of attacking Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in the occupied territory.



Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
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Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)

The Yemeni government met in the interim capital, Aden, on Thursday, with Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak presiding to review an economic rescue plan focused on government reforms, ending the Houthi coup, and restoring state control.
Yemen’s economy faces a deep crisis, with falling revenues and a halt in oil exports after Houthi attacks on export ports and stalled peace efforts amid increased Houthi activity regionally and at sea.
In Thursday’s meeting, Yemen’s Cabinet discussed urgent economic issues, including currency instability and electricity shortages, and reviewed a draft economic rescue plan aligned with government reforms.
The government aims to finalize the plan, which focuses on restoring state control, ending the Houthi coup, achieving peace, fighting corruption, and improving transparency. The plan also seeks to boost the economy and make better use of foreign aid.
A ministerial committee, led by the finance minister and including other key officials, was formed to refine the plan. The committee will review suggestions and present a revised version in two weeks for further discussion.
State media reported that the Cabinet instructed the ministerial committee to align the rescue plan with the government's reform agenda and economic recovery strategy. The committee will set priorities, review progress, and develop a unified economic document to guide urgent government actions.
Yemen’s Cabinet emphasized the need to realistically assess challenges and tackle them through joint efforts with the Presidential Leadership Council.
The discussion focused on ensuring the rescue plan addresses the economic crisis’s root causes—worsened by Houthi attacks on oil facilities and shipping routes—and on defining the support needed from international donors.
The meeting also reviewed implemented and ongoing policies, noting obstacles and suggesting solutions to overcome them.
Moreover, Yemen’s Cabinet reviewed reports on fuel shortages affecting Aden’s power stations and discussed urgent steps to stabilize electricity and ensure water supplies.
State media said officials stressed the need for emergency fuel and additional supplies to keep services stable.