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WASHINGTON —U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday issued an executive order to sanction individuals who support settler violence in the West Bank - a move his administration says reflects a "holistic approach" to the Gaza conflict.
"We are taking a holistic approach to this entire crisis not just in Gaza, but the larger context - Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and the larger region," a Biden administration official told reporters during a call on Thursday.
Biden, who is visiting the swing state of Michigan on Thursday, is likely to encounter a groundswell of opposition in a state with one of the nation's largest Arab-American populations.
Members of that community are among a growing number of Americans who have expressed concerns about Biden's steadfast support of Israel's aggressive military operation in response to the Hamas militant group's October 7 terror attack on Israeli civilians.
A New York Times/Siena College poll published in December, however, found that almost as many Americans believe that Israel should push on to total victory even in the face of mounting civilian casualties.
Biden has so far resisted pressure to call for a cease-fire, saying Israel has a right to defend itself.
The new order targets individuals whom the White House sees as encouraging violence in the West Bank. White House officials did not name the individuals during the briefing.
"President Biden has also spoken about his concern about the rise in violence that we have seen in the West Bank from extremist actors - in particular the rise in extremist settler violence, which reached record levels in 2023," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Thursday.
"This violence poses a grave threat to peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, Israel, and the Middle East region, and threatens the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States."
The White House official said that the acts identified by the order include "acts of intimidation and property destruction leading to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities." One individual, the official said, "initiated and led a riot which involved setting vehicles and buildings on fire."