Pro-Israel Groups Challenge Biden's Anti-Violence Order

Pro-Israel advocacy groups and dual U.S.-Israeli citizens have filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden's executive order that imposes financial and immigration sanctions on individuals involved in settler violence in the West Bank. They argue it infringes on their free speech and religious beliefs.

Pro-Israel advocacy groups and dual U.S.-Israeli citizens have initiated a legal challenge against President Joe Biden's executive order that subjects individuals involved in settler violence in the West Bank to financial and immigration sanctions.

The lawsuit, filed in Amarillo, Texas, claims the executive order violates the plaintiffs' free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution and interferes with their religious beliefs. The plaintiffs include Texans for Israel, Israeli nonprofit Regavim, the groups' leaders, and two dual U.S.-Israeli citizens who reside in the West Bank and oppose the Biden administration's 'two-state solution' policy.

Biden's order enables federal agencies to sanction individuals who threaten or harm Palestinians or confiscate their property, aimed at promoting peace and security. However, the plaintiffs argue it broadly penalizes opposition to an independent Palestinian state. The White House and relevant federal agencies have not commented on the lawsuit.