Two American citizens residing in Israel have initiated legal action against the Biden administration, contesting sanctions imposed on them under Executive Order 14115. The lawsuit, filed by the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) and other organizations, alleges that the sanctions, intended to target individuals undermining peace in the West Bank, are unconstitutional and unfairly applied solely to Jewish individuals. The plaintiffs, Levi Yitzchak Pilant and Issachar Manne, claim they have been wrongly accused of activities they haven't engaged in, leading to frozen bank accounts, cancelled credit cards, and reputational damage. The lawsuit contends that the State Department's accusations rely heavily on biased reports from anti-Israel groups, without proper investigation.
Pilant, a security official with the Israeli government, is accused of leading armed settlers in attacks and expulsions of Palestinians. However, the lawsuit insists he has never engaged in such violence and that his actions were part of authorized security duties. Manne, sanctioned for establishing a farm on allegedly Palestinian-owned land, maintains he has never appropriated private land and grazes his sheep on areas not privately owned. The lawsuit emphasizes that the sanctions have severely disrupted their lives and finances.
This lawsuit follows a previous legal challenge to the sanctions, but it marks the first time sanctioned individuals have directly contested the order. The plaintiffs argue that the sanctions violate their Due Process and Equal Protection rights. Legal experts supporting the case highlight the concerning implication that the government's actions seem to be based on the notion that certain land inherently belongs to Palestinians, leading to the unjust targeting of American Jews living in the West Bank. The lawsuit criticizes the administration for failing to verify the citizenship of the individuals before imposing sanctions, suggesting a politically motivated vendetta. The lawsuit further points out the significant number of Palestinian attacks against Jewish civilians, questioning why these haven't been addressed under the same executive order. The State Department has declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.
