US bill on settlements gains support from 53 co-sponsors — Jerusalem Post

In the United States, Congressman Joaquín Castro’s Stop the Settlements Act, aimed against the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, has gained 53 co-sponsors. Those backing the initiative include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Sanctions and import restrictions

The bill was introduced on October 1. It provides for sanctions against individuals found to be involved in the construction of any Israeli settlement or outpost after September 30, 2026, the construction or development of settlements in the E1 area, as well as facilitating the relocation of Israel’s civilian population to such settlements or outposts after that date.

The document also proposes banning imports into the United States of goods wholly or partially produced in Israeli settlements or outposts in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. The text of the initiative states that ending the construction and expansion of settlements should protect Palestinians from land dispossession and help create a path toward peace.

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The initiative author’s position

Castro said the bill presents individuals and companies seeking to obtain Palestinian land in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip with a choice between continuing settlement activity and doing business with the United States. According to him, if adopted, the law could effectively halt new settlement construction in the West Bank and give the US president the authority to introduce measures against the most destabilizing settlements and outposts.

The initiative was supported by J Street and New Jewish Narrative. At the same time, the Jerusalem Post notes that there have been no Israeli civilian settlements in the Gaza Strip since 2005, and no goods are produced there. The publication states that references to the Gaza Strip in the bill may be intended to prevent the establishment of settlements in the future.