"The Israeli government under my leadership will utilize all available measures in response to these actions," he stated.
In Tel Aviv, Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vehemently
criticized reports of the US considering sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda
battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Allegedly, these sanctions stem
from purported human rights violations committed by the battalion's soldiers
against Palestinians in the West Bank. The Biden administration's potential
blacklisting of this esteemed IDF unit has sparked outrage among Israeli officials.
Netanyahu declared, "Sanctioning the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is
unthinkable. Our soldiers are combatting terrorism, and the notion of
penalizing an IDF division is utterly absurd and morally reprehensible."
He vowed that his government would take decisive action against such measures.
Joining Netanyahu's condemnation, Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and
Bezalel Smotrich decried the US move as crossing a red line. Ben Gvir
emphasized the seriousness of the situation, asserting, "Netzah Yehuda
members must be safeguarded."
Furthermore, Ben Gvir urged Defense Minister Yoav Gallant not to yield
to US pressure. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich blasted the
proposed sanctions on social media, labeling them as "madness." He
argued that such actions were part of a broader strategy to coerce Israel into
accepting a Palestinian state at the expense of its security.