Bank Leumi freezes account of Israeli sanctioned by US

Bank Leumi informed Yinon Levi, one of the four Israelis recently sanctioned by the US, that his accounts at the bank had been frozen on Sunday, according to KAN news.

Levi has two accounts at Bank Leumi: a personal one and a business one. 

On Thursday, the US State Department announced that four Israelis had been sanctioned under an executive order by US President Joe Biden for violence against Palestinians and pro-Palestinian activists in the West Bank.

What is Levi accused of?

According to the State Department, Levi led a group of settlers who engaged in actions creating an atmosphere of fear in the West Bank. Levi regularly led groups of settlers from the Meitarim Farm outpost that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, threatened them with additional violence if they did not leave their homes, burned their fields, and destroyed their property. According to the State Department, Levi and other settlers at Meitarim Farm have repeatedly attacked multiple communities within the West Bank.

Levi has denied that he was involved in violence against Palestinians, saying, "The order was caused by the anarchist, anti-Zionist left, who hate the Jewish people, turning to Biden, who published a thousand and one nights' stories about the pioneers of the people of Israel. Biden, who is unable to deal with the Houthis who are murdering American soldiers, does not scare us. We will continue to settle the Land of Israel without fear or dread."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to Bank Leumi's decision to freeze Levi's bank accounts, saying, "I am saddened by the antisemitic campaign against settlers, which is then transferred to the American administration, which aligns with this campaign. I will make sure that banks do not harm the citizens of Israel because of an absurd decree that has no justification. We are not a banana republic of the United States."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented as well, saying, "Restricting the bank accounts of residents without explanation and justice is crossing a red line that should not be allowed. The CEOs of the banks follow the words of external parties and implement them in practice. I call on the responsible parties in Israel to act immediately to return the bank accounts of the settlers that were closed. We greatly respect and appreciate our allies in the world, but we must not let anyone else run the State of Israel."

Religious Zionist Party MK Zvi Sukkot met with Levi on Sunday to express support for him, insisting that the decision to freeze his accounts is "one of the most ridiculous things that could happen."

"Some leftists dressed him up and simply published stories about him and any connection between them and reality is absolutely coincidental," said Sukkot. "Israel Police investigated the issue, there is no evidence of conspiracy, he has no indictment, criminal record, or past in the Shin Bet, leftists simply do not like the fact that Jews establish farms."

"It doesn't make sense for an Israeli bank to freeze the bank account of a person who is the salt of the land because of a plot by leftists that reached the Americans. This thing is illegal; no one has the authority to seize the bank account of a mere citizen, and if this is not corrected, I will demand an urgent discussion on the issue in the Knesset."

Other banks accounts have been frozen

The Postal Bank froze the account of David Chai Hasdai, another one of the four settlers on whom the American government imposed sanctions.

Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi commented on this, saying, "Blocking a citizen's account at the Postal Bank due to a scandalous order by the USA is intolerable. Such abuse of an Israeli citizen without any proper legal procedure is something that should not be allowed."

Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.