Smotrich urges Israel banks not to enforce US sanctions on settlers

Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, seeks to prevent Israeli banks from taking action against four settlers on whom the US has imposed economic sanctions, due to their involvement in terrorist attacks targeting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported last night that Bank Leumi froze the account of one of the settlers targeted by American sanctions. This prompted Smotrich to try to intervene.

The report noted that two of the four settlers have accounts in Bank Hapoalim, which has not yet decided on the measures that will be taken in regards to the US sanctions.

Smotrich spoke to the banks supervisor in the Ministry of Finance in an attempt to prevent Israeli banks from taking similar measures and asked him to issue a clarification to all banks stating that the United States’ decision should not change anything in terms of Israeli law.

It is “unthinkable” for an Israeli bank to take action against an Israeli citizen following a US decision, Smotrich said.

“I will take action as the finance minister and do what I must,” he said, noting that “if need be, we’ll advance legislation on the matter.”

Officials in Israeli banks confirmed that they are obliged to enforce the measures Washington imposed on the four settlers, otherwise the US could sanction banks who continue to serve sanctioned individuals.

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