An Israeli army battalion, Netzah Yehuda, may, among other things, be excluded from receiving US financial support. The US has never imposed sanctions on the Israeli army before. Numerous media outlets are reporting that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to announce sanctions against a battalion of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The unit, known as Netzah Yehuda (Judea Forever), has been accused of human rights violations against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. According to the Associated Press news agency, the US has been investigating five army units for serious human rights violations. These sanctions, however, would only apply to this unit, imposing two restrictions: Firstly, no US military aid would go to Netzah Yehuda; secondly, its participation in training programs financed by the US would be limited. The Israeli government has already declared that it will oppose the sanctions. What is Netzah Yehuda? The Netzah Yehuda battalion was established in the late 1990s as a special religious unit, with specific conditions to facilitate military service for ultra-orthodox Jews (Haredim). The men are given time for prayer and religious studies, their food is kosher, and contact with female soldiers is very limited. The battalion is part of the Kfir Infantry Brigade, which says it numbers around 1,000 soldiers in total. The majority of the ultra-orthodox community opposes compulsory military service, making this a contentious issue. Many of the soldiers in the battalion joined voluntarily because Haredim have always been exempt from military service in Israel. Those who attended a yeshiva (a religious school) up to a certain age, for instance, cannot be called up into the IDF. However, more and more politicians are calling for the rule to be changed. Israel's Supreme Court ruled back in 1998 that it was discriminatory. And since October 2023, with the start of the war in Gaza against the militant group Hamas — which the US, EU, and others designate a terrorist group — thousands of Haredim have volunteered for military service. Rallying point for radical settlers? The unit is made up of both ultra-orthodox and religious-nationalist Israelis. These include radical settlers from the occupied West Bank who have close ties to the parties of right-wing extremist government ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. According to the US news website Axios, more and more of the so-called "Hilltop Youth" have joined the battalion over the years. This group consists of young, radical, sometimes violent settlers. Just last week, the EU sanctioned the Hilltop Youth for their attacks on Palestinians. Netzah Yehuda was originally stationed in the occupied West Bank, but it was relocated to northern Israel at the end of 2022. The battalion has now also been deployed in the war in the Gaza Strip. What exactly is the battalion accused of? The Times of Israel reports that Netzah Yehuda has been linked to right-wing extremism and violence against Palestinians. According to the Axios website, the battalion first came to the attention of the US government in 2022, with incidents of violence against Palestinian civilians. Members of the battalion are said to have detained an almost 80-year-old man, Omar Assad, and kept him bound and gagged for hours. Assad, a Palestinian-American, died a few hours later of a stress-induced heart attack. As reported by the Washington Post and other outlets, an autopsy found that this was likely brought on by his being manhandled. The IDF condemned the incident at the time, describing it as a "moral failure," and a poor decision on the part of those responsible. Two officers were dismissed and a third was reprimanded, but no criminal charges were brought. The incident attracted attention because of the man's dual nationality, his advanced age, and because the US called for an investigation. However, human rights activists can cite numerous other cases of alleged mistreatment and torture of Palestinians. How has Israel reacted? The Israeli government has expressed outrage at reports of impending sanctions. On Saturday evening, President Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Sanctions must not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces!" and declaring that his government was working to prevent any such measures. His post continued: "At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose sanctions on an IDF unit is the height of absurdity and a moral low." The Israeli military has stated that it is not aware of any sanctions against any of its units, and said: "If a decision is made on the matter, it will be reviewed." Is the US considering further sanctions? Sanctions against the Israeli army are a new development, but the US has previously imposed sanctions against Israel, such as recently against extremist settlers, and against the right-wing extremist Bentzi Gopstein, an ally of Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right minister for national security. The US also put on its sanctions list two organizations that provide financial support for sanctioned extremist settlers. Their assets in the US have been blocked. US citizens and others in the US are also forbidden from engaging in any transactions with sanctioned organizations and individuals.

Protests against the ongoing war in Gaza have spread at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan in the United States. Police arrested dozens of people on Monday night to disperse the ongoing protests at New York University. The British media BBC reported. Authorities arrested at least 47 protesters on the Yale University campus in New Haven. The university confirmed the matter in a statement.  The ongoing protests on U.S. campuses captured the world's attention last week when New York City police arrested more than 100 protesting students on the campus of Columbia University. As part of the protest, the students setting up tent encampments at its New York City campus last week. Authorities have expelled the arrested students from the university after the police made the arrests. Hundreds of Columbia University teachers staged a mass walkout on Monday to protest the arrests of students protesting on their campuses. In addition, the authorities announced on Monday that all classes of the university will be conducted virtually. Meanwhile, protests in support of Palestine are taking place at major US educational institutions, including the University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan and Emerson College. But many U.S. politicians and campus-based organizations are claiming the protests as an anti-Semitic movement.

Israel's leadership has voiced indignation after reports that Washington intends to announce sanctions against an Israeli military battalion.  The Israeli government has responded with indignation after a report that the United States plans to sanction a West Bank unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Under the reported plan, members of the Netzah Yehuda unit — which is accused of human rights breaches — would be barred from receiving US military support or training. A report by the US news outlet Axios said it had information from three US government sources that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would announce the sanctions within days.  The decision is based on incidents that all took place in the West Bank and occurred before the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, the report said. The unit was withdrawn from the West Bank in 2022. It reportedly comes after an assessment of several IDF and police units accused of human rights violations. The other units will not be sanctioned after they remedied their behavior, Axios said. The decision would comply with the 1997 "Leahy Law," which bans foreign aid and defense training programs for foreign security and military units that are credibly guilty of human rights violations. "Sanctions must not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X.  He added that his government would oppose such measures with all possible means. "At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose sanctions on an IDF unit is the height of absurdity and a moral low," Netanyahu wrote. Member of the Israeli war Cabinet Benny Gantz said imposing the sanctions would send the wrong message "to our common enemies" and set a dangerous precedent. "The 'Netzah Yehuda' battalion is an inseparable part of the Israel Defense Forces," he wrote on X. "It is subject to military law and is responsible for operating in full compliance with International law."   

The legislation requires the popular video sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company in order to operate in the US. It should next move onto the Senate for a vote. The US House of Representatives passed on Saturday a bill that could see the wildly popular video creation and sharing app TikTok banned in the country unless it divests from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The bill passed with 360 votes in favor, and merely 58 against. It is expected to go to the Senate for a vote next week. TikTok, whose popularity is particularly huge among younger generations, criticized the bill, which was part of a larger bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The app warned that, if passed, the legislation would "trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion (€22.5 billion) to the US economy, annually." US President Joe Biden has said he would approve the legislation if it makes its way to him. What does the bill stipulate? The bill gives Chinese owner ByteDance nine months to sell the app, with a potential three-month extension if a sale was underway. The parent company would also be barred from controlling TikTok's algorithm, which feeds users videos based on their needs. Steven Mnuchin, who served as US treasury secretary under former President Donald Trump, has said he is interested in acquiring the app and has assembled a group of investors. The latest bill is a revision of an earlier one passed by the House in March, which required ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months. However, some senators were concerned six months would be too short a deadline. Why is there opposition to TikTok? US officials have sounded the alarm over the app's growing popularity, particularly among young people, claiming it could allow Beijing to spy on its some 170 million users in the country. A number of Chinese national security laws compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering. Lawmakers and officials are also wary that Beijing could directly influence TikTok content based on its interests. TikTok has denied that it could be used as a tool for the Chinese government or that it has ever shared US user data with Chinese authorities, vowing never to do so even if asked. The bill's opponents argue that Beijing could easily get data on US citizens in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that sell or rent personal information. Among the opponents of the bill is billionaire Elon Musk, who now owns the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. "TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform," Musk said. "Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression."  

Without US support, Ukraine's defenses would crumble.The situation on Ukraine's front line is dramatic, an artillery officer explains. As well-supplied Russian troops fire away, Ukrainian soldiers are getting pounded. Fighter jets bomb Ukrainian positions with glide bombs triggered from well behind the front lines, beyond the reach of Ukraine's air defenses. "Without artillery munition, every front is doomed," an artillery officer in eastern Ukraine told DW on condition of anonymity. "Losses will go up because it is not possible to respond to firepower with firepower appropriately." "At some point, we will find ourselves in a situation where no one can defend the front, where everyone is either dead or wounded," the officer said. That would mean "the loss of positions and a crumbling front." The officer's assessment is shared by observers. "The Russians are pressing their advantage and advancing slowly but steadily on several sectors of the front," Fredrick W. Kagan of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in a blog post in April, as the US Congress worked out the details of a military aid package for allies. "Since the beginning of this year, Russian forces have seized over 360 square kilometers — an area the size of Detroit," Kagan wrote. 'Very real risk' Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in 2022, Ukraine has relied on significant  supplies of weapons and munitions from international backers. "There is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could lose on the battlefield by the end of 2024, or at least put Putin in a position where he could dictate the terms of a political settlement" and only fresh supplies from the US would give Ukrainian forces a chance of "holding out," CIA Director William Burns said on Thursday in comments published in US media ahead of Saturday's vote by the Congress to send a package of military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel. Eyes on Washington Ukrainian pilots have been training to fly US F-16 fighter jets since 2023 — much longer than NATO had estimated would be needed. A spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force declined to answer in detail about the progress in training pilots to fly F-16s in NATO members Romania, the United Kingdom and France. "This is a very sensitive issue," the spokesman told DW in a written response. Christopher Cavoli, the commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe, said Ukrainian pilots often struggled with English. He has also worried about what he sees on Ukrainian front. "I can't predict the future, but I can do simple math,” he said in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on April 10. "Based on my experience in 37-plus years in the US military, if one side can shoot and the other side can't shoot back, the side that can't shoot back loses." Putin seeks victory Ukraine has had some successes. In April, forces announced that they had shot down a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber for the first time. In addition, radar positions on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow uses to organize supplies for its troops in southern Ukraine, were hit again. These wins are overshadowed by Russia's onslaught, particularly from the skies, on towns such as Cherniv, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Kyiv, and the frequent bombardment Kharkiv, on the border with Russia. After a visit to the front, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted on Telegram that Russia is concentrating on "breaking through our defenses west of Bakhmut, gaining access to the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal, capturing the settlement of Chasiv Yar and creating the conditions for further advances towards the greater Kramatorsk area." Drones not enough Chasiv Yar is located on a hill with strategic advantage for Ukrainian forces. According to Syrskyi, Putin has ordered forces to capture the settlement by May 9, when the Russian president celebrates the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Nico Lange, who served as the chief of staff to Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer until the current governing coalition took over in 2022, wrote on the social media network X that Ukraine cannot "hold the front line in the east; it can only delay Russian attacks." That has meant using drones loaded with explosives. But "drones are no substitute for artillery," the officer in eastern Ukraine told DW. The decisive factor, he said, is whether and how quickly he and his colleagues could receive ammunition and other supplies.  

US lawmakers will vote on a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The package has been stalled by political infighting and comes amid repeated calls from Kyiv for assistance. The US House of Representatives will on Saturday hold a long-awaited and crucial vote on a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Voting on the foreign aid and arms bill, valued at $95 billion (€89 billion), is expected to begin at 1 p.m. local time (1700 GMT/UTC). If the vote in the House is successful, the package will then head to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where passage in the coming days is all but assured. US President Joe Biden has promised to sign off on it immediately. Why has the aid package stalled? Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has faced an uphill battle from hardline Republicans over the bill, with continued financing of Ukraine's defensive effort against Russia's invasion hanging in the balance for months. Republicans hold a thin majority in the House.  The foreign aid legislation is similar to a measure passed by the Senate in February, but it contains some differences designed to win over House conservatives.  Republicans opposed to the bill have demanded that stronger controls first be put in place to curb the arrival of migrants at the southern US border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has meanwhile been making desperate attempts to try and shore up support among allies as resources and ammunition stockpiles dwindle. The package includes around $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, a much-needed shot in the arm for Kyiv. Where will the rest of the funding go? Around $14 billion has been allocated for Israel as it continues its fight against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, while around $9 billion would be for providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank. The bill also covers reimbursement for US military operations in the region in response to recent attacks. The rest of the funds are set aside for US partners in the Pacific to counter China, with some $3.3 billion allocated toward the development of submarine infrastructure.  

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran in favor of Israel. The sanctions have been imposed on a number of individuals and organizations in Iran. The US slapped new sanctions Thursday on 16 people and two entities associated with Iran’s drone attack on Israel. US President Joe Biden made the announcement on Thursday (April 18). This information has been given in a notification on the White House website. "We helped defeat this attack, and today (Thursday) , we are holding Iran accountable—imposing new sanctions and export controls on Iran," Biden said in a statement. "Less than a week ago, Iran launched the world's largest missile and drone attacks against Israel. Together with our allies and partners, the United States defended Israel. The United States is committed to Israel's security," Biden added.  

The United States has restricted travel for its embassy personnel in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran. The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Beersheba areas "out of an abundance of caution". Iran has vowed to retaliate, blaming Israel for a strike on its consulate in Syria 11 days ago, killing 13 people. UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has phoned his Iranian counterpart to urge against further escalation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the consulate attack but is widely considered to have been behind it. Iran backs Hamas, the armed Palestinian group fighting Israel in Gaza, as well as various proxy groups throughout the region, including some - such as Hezbollah in Lebanon - that frequently carry out strikes against the Israelis. Those killed in the consulate attack included a senior commander of Iran's elite Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, as well as other military figures. The attack came at a time of continuing diplomatic efforts to prevent the war in Gaza spreading across the region. Speaking on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden warned Iran was threatening to launch a "significant attack" and vowed to offer "ironclad" support to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was ready to meet any security challenge, warning that Israel would harm any country that caused it harm. "We are prepared to meet all of the security needs of the State of Israel, both defensively and offensively," he said. The commander responsible for US operations in the Middle East, Erik Kurilla, has travelled to Israel for talks with officials on security threats. The Pentagon said the visit had been scheduled previously but had been brought forward "due to recent developments". Following a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Lord Cameron said he had "made clear... that Iran must not draw the Middle East into a wider conflict". "I am deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence," he said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the foreign ministers of China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to argue that further escalation is not in anyone's interest. Following the call, China urged the US to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East, while also condemning the strike widely believed to have been carried out by Israel on Iran's consulate building in Damascus. It is not clear what form any reprisal attack would take nor whether it would come directly from Iran or via one of its proxies. On Sunday an Iranian official warned Israel's embassies were "no longer safe", suggesting a consulate building could be a possible target.   Source: BBC

China and the United States reached consensus in economic and financial areas during the visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Beijing is willing to work with Washington to turn the consensus into practical outcomes, thereby improving bilateral economic ties, a senior Chinese official said on Monday. Liao Min, vice-minister of finance, made the remarks while giving a briefing on the outcomes of Yellen's visit, which lasted from Thursday to Tuesday."Deepening economic and financial policy coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation between the world's two largest economies is of great significance for maintaining the stability of the economic and financial systems of both countries and the world, as well as for promoting post-pandemic economic recovery and development, for which China has always maintained an open and positive attitude," Liao said. The two sides will continue implementing the consensus under the framework of the economic and financial working groups established last year. The fourth meetings of the two working groups are scheduled to be held separately during the spring meetings in mid-April of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, Liao said. During her visit, Yellen met separately with Premier Li Qiang, Vice-Premier He Lifeng, Finance Minister Lan Fo'an and People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng. She also interacted with Chinese university students and scholars. Liao said the two sides have agreed to conduct in-depth discussions on the issue of balanced growth of the two countries and major economies through bilateral channels, which aligns with China's policy objectives and practices for economic transformation and high-quality development. They also agreed to maintain communication on issues such as addressing the debt issues of developing countries and reforms of international financial institutions under multilateral channels such as the G20, in order to jointly deal with global challenges. This comes as the global economy is experiencing high levels of debt, inflation and interest rates and low growth, with emerging markets and developing countries significantly affected by the spillover effects.Both sides agreed to continue conducting exchanges and cooperating on issues such as financial stability, sustainable finance, anti-money laundering efforts, and counterterrorism financing. Liao said that China attaches great importance to the so-called production capacity issue and provided a full and rational response to the US in all levels of meetings and discussions with Yellen. "China is aware of the concerns of the US and other relevant parties and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties. Based on market principles, we aim to rationally address and properly handle the disputes," he said, adding that the two sides will continue communication on the issue via the working groups.   Source: News Day

Ukraine “will lose the war” if the United States Congress does not approve military aid to help it resist Russia’s invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “It’s important to specifically address the Congress: if the Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky said Sunday during a video meeting of the Ukrainian fund-raising group UNITED24. “If Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked. This is a fact,” he said. Zelensky’s warning, among his starkest since the war began more than two years ago, comes as Congress has for months refused to pass a package of aid for Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to battle manpower and ammunition shortages while an emboldened Russia pounds Ukraine’s cities with missiles and tests for weak spots along the front line. The US Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in February, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on passing the package for Ukraine. Zelensky previously told CNN that “millions” could die in Ukraine’s war with Russia if US lawmakers do not approve the aid package. When Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, it thought it would take Kyiv in days and the rest of the country in weeks. In what proved to be a disastrous miscalculation for Moscow, Ukraine repelled the initial assault on its capital and, later in 2022, reclaimed some of the territories overrun by Russia. The frontlines have since been largely static, with Russia continuing to occupy around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Despite optimism that Ukraine could reclaim more of its occupied territories, its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 failed to significantly pierce Russia’s defenses. Ukraine’s then-Commander in Chief conceded the war had entered a “stalemate.” Since the start of this year, Russia – enjoying a huge advantage in manpower and technology – has attempted to seize the initiative, bombarding Ukraine’s cities with missiles and forcing Ukraine to retreat from the eastern town of Avdiivka. Franz-Stefan Gady, an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN the war in Ukraine had entered a “transitional phase.” “Russia is conducting probing attacks along the front line. It is trying to advance where it can. And it is preparing what seems to be a future offensive down the road,” he said. While European countries have tried to replace US aid, Gady said there was “no substitute” for the support Washington can provide. “This year, Ukraine really needs US support. There’s certain weapons systems, certain logistical support which the European countries simply cannot provide to Ukraine” such as air defense systems, he said. Also on Sunday, Zelensky warned that “in the coming weeks Russia will be more and more insistent on dragging nuclear weapons into the debate, threatening, playing with this matter.” In a separate post on X, he thanked UNITED24’s ambassadors for “continuing to draw US attention to the Ukrainian people’s fight for freedom and independence.” Source: CNN