Donald Beyer

Don Beyer has joined a group of six U.S. House Democrats who are introducing legislation that would impose economic sanctions on individuals and entities building or expanding settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

H.R. 0953, the Stop the Settlements Act, would establish a regime of sanctions on those involved in the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements.

“The continued expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illustrates the contempt Israel’s government has for international law and longstanding U.S. policy,” said Beyer, a Northern Virginia congressman. “By accelerating this campaign of violence and theft, particularly in the E1 corridor bordering East Jerusalem, the Israeli government is making clear its intent to fatally undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state. The U.S. cannot and should not accept this explicit effort of illegal territorial expansion, which would make a negotiated resolution to this intractable conflict forever out of reach. This legislation puts teeth on what has been clear U.S. policy for decades and sends a strong message that we will not tolerate the illegal settlement movement any longer.”

The Israeli government has approved more 100 new settlements in the West Bank since 2022, and Israeli settlers have established almost 200 additional outposts.

Only six settlements were approved in the previous three decades.

The Stop the Settlements Act would slap sanctions on any foreign entity or individual that engages with activity for the establishment of new Israeli settlements or outposts in the West Bank or Gaza, including developing infrastructure, construction in the settlement area known as E1, or facilitating Israeli civilians onto settlements.

The bill would also put a ban on imports of settlements goods.