In brief
As tensions continue in the Middle East, pro-settlement activists are looking forward to changes in U.S. policy when Donald Trump assumes office, expecting reversals of recent sanctions imposed by the Biden administration.
The Biden administration took action this week, imposing sanctions on individuals and groups linked to Israeli settlers who are inciting violence in the West Bank. This move is seen as a final push against settlement expansion before Trump’s anticipated changes to U.S. policy. Trump’s loyal supporters in the settler movement foresee the potential for these sanctions to be reversed, sparking legal battles as they argue their constitutional rights are being infringed upon. Since the 1967 war, which resulted in Israel gaining control of the West Bank, the international community has largely deemed these settlements illegal, while Palestinians argue that they threaten the viability of a future independent state. With a far-right Israeli government currently in place, the expansion of these settlements is a priority, adding to the complexities of the ongoing conflict.
