US to impose sanctions on Netanyahu? The bill to be voted on in Congress

Six Democratic members of Congress will introduce the "Stop the Settlements Act," which mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in establishing new settlements and outposts in the West Bank and Gaza, including Israeli ministers and the Prime Minister. The sanctions include asset freezes and a ban on entry to the US. The bill's chances of passing in the current Congress are low due to the Republican majority, but bipartisan support for Israel is eroding.

Six Democratic members of the US Congress will introduce the "Stop the Settlements Act" today (Thursday). The proposal, which has the support of 40 party members including senior figures from the mainstream, mandates sanctions on any foreign (non-American) entity involved in establishing new settlements and outposts in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, in infrastructure for their expansion, in construction in E1, or in transferring citizens to settlements. The sanctions include asset freezes, visa revocation, and a ban on entry to the US, and are also directed at senior officials and officials in Israeli government bodies, including ministers and the Prime Minister. American citizens, including settlers with dual citizenship, are exempt from the law. The assessment is that the proposal will not pass in the current Congress due to the Republican majority and the Trump administration, but bipartisan support for Israel is rapidly eroding. One of the bill's sponsors, Joaquin Castro, has already hinted at "the next Congress," and a senior Democrat linked the bill's passage to the results of the elections in Israel, saying that if the current coalition continues, the laws will pass.