A human rights group is calling for the U.S. State Department to cut off funding to an infamous Israeli battalion by implementing the Leahy Law.
This week Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) made the demand and released a report on human rights abuses and war crimes committed by the Israeli Army’s Netzah Yehuda Battalion, a special unit for ultra-Orthodox Jewish soldiers.
“The very least the US can do is to impose Leahy Law sanctions for the murder of an American against a repeat offender Israeli unit that has been killing and abusing Palestinians with impunity for years,” said DAWN’s Israel-Palestine Advocacy Director Adam Shapiro in a statement. “While Netzah Yehuda might not be the worst abuser in the Israeli Army, its actions have been well-documented by Israeli and international media, offering a unique insight into the absolute unwillingness by Israeli governments to hold its soldiers accountable for violating international law and the Israeli army’s own rules of engagement.”