President Joe Biden imposed financial sanctions on four Israeli individuals allegedly involved in violence against civilians in the West Bank during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
One of those sanctioned, Yinon Levi, and his wife, Sapir Levi, spoke with ABC News, denying the allegations and expressing surprise at being targeted.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Yinon Levi of leading settlers in actions creating fear and attacking Palestinian communities.
Videos allegedly show Levi engaged in activities such as road obstruction and property destruction, although independent verification is lacking.
“When we first found out about it, we thought it was a joke. Why would Biden care about us?” Yinon Levi said.
“He regularly led groups of settlers from the Meitarim Farm outpost that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, threatened them with additional violence if they did not leave their homes, burned their fields, and destroyed their property,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated.
“Every time there is a problem in the area with Arabs, we call the army and they come and they do what they do. We have the full backup of the army,” Sapir Levi said. “If Biden has a complaint to us, he can talk to the army.”
“Today’s actions seek to promote peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Biden said.
Despite the sanctions, they remain committed to living on their farm.
“We thought it’s not going to affect us because we don’t have American citizenship, but then the bank called,” Sapir Levi said.
“We have a joint bank account and we have savings for the children. We need to pay for school, to buy clothes for the children and we can’t do anything right now, it’s all frozen. It’s my account, too.”
“Biden thinks we will be scared, but these sanctions do the opposite. They reaffirm our commitment. We are making Israel safer by living here,” he said.
“I’m not saying what happened because I don’t know this story, but it’s clear that if I were in his place, I would be angry. I can’t tell you what I would do, but obviously there is anger at such a thing. But that is not the reality here,” Yinon Levi said.
The sanctions have significantly impacted the Levis, affecting their bank accounts and business.
They expressed a belief in their role in making Israel safer and dismissed the notion of a power imbalance, citing recent violence in the region.
The Levis also justified Israeli actions in response to attacks, viewing those killed as terrorists.
When confronted with the story of a Palestinian teenager killed in a separate incident, Yinon Levi acknowledged potential anger but emphasized the complexity of the situation.
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