Israel weighs personal sanctions against Palestinian officials after wave of recognitions – report

Following the wave of announcements by several states that they are recognizing a “State of Palestine,” Israel is weighing personal sanctions against officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Israel’s Army Radio reported on Thursday.

Despite Israeli threats and warnings, there was no immediate formal response after several nations recognized a “Palestinian State” this week, including the UK and France. The PA has actively courted and praised these announcements.

A possible first step was the closure of the Allenby Border Crossing with Jordan, which primarily serves residents of the PA and its officials.

However, the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the instruction, which officials said came directly from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Thursday, Army Radio cited senior defense officials who are reportedly recommending that Israel sanction top PA officials, including limitations on their freedom of movement, as one of several options.

“Such steps are clearly justified and appropriate. It is unacceptable that PA leaders are causing us irreversible damage on the international stage, while continuing to enjoy privileges from Israel that over time have become the norm,” officials told Army Radio.

Possible targets of these limitations on movement are senior leaders like President Mahmoud Abbas and his new deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, who are currently traveling freely throughout Judea and Samaria (internationally known as the West Bank) and enjoy security envelopes coordinated with Israel’s Shin Bet.

By canceling travel permits and denying them passage through Israeli checkpoints, PA officials could be forced to remain within the PA capital of Ramallah or be prevented from traveling internationally.

Officials have also proposed imposing economic sanctions on PA officials to target their businesses, for example, goods imported from abroad by their family members, which generate significant personal profits.

While the defense officials are advocating personal sanctions against PA officials, they are recommending not to target the broader Palestinian public by imposing limitations on general movement across Judea and Samaria, revoking more work permits for Palestinians inside Israel, or harming the PA’s financial and banking systems.

Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, the military and police have gone on high alert and have taken several measures to ensure calm and prevent violent outbreaks in Judea and Samaria.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu had stated that “There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River,” vowing that “the response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States.”

He boarded a plane for New York on Thursday morning, Israeli time, and is expected to speak at the UN as well as to meet U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss possible responses to the wave of recognitions.

Netanyahu’s hawkish coalition partners have demanded the annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee has signaled that the U.S. wouldn’t object: “We respect Israel as a sovereign nation. We are not going to tell Israel what it can and cannot do any more than we would expect Israel to tell us what we can and cannot do,” he said in response to a question about Washington’s expected response to a possible annexation.

However, media reports suggested that Trump promised Arab and Muslim leaders during a meeting on Tuesday that he would not allow such a move.