Analysis: Visa ban puts pressure on Israel, but many view the US as culpable in the deaths of thousands
by James Matthews, US correspondent
The strands to this conflict are many and varied and the suffering is laid bare for all to see.
One of its lesser-reported aspects, amidst the consuming chaos, has been the increased violence in the West Bank by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Its levels may have risen, but it’s nothing new.
Palestinians have long pointed to aggression by Israeli settlers as a brutal contradiction of any notion of that Israel harbours genuine intentions of stability and peace.
An Israeli government that does little to nothing to prevent attacks aimed at driving Palestinians from their homes isn’t viewed in the West Bank as one committed to constructive, shared interests.
America’s visa ban will target Israeli settlers committing acts of violence against Palestinians and vice versa.
The stated aim is to reduce the risk of wider violence. It’s also designed to address an ongoing aggression that stands, fundamentally, in the way of America’s long term goal.
US President Joe Biden talks about his wish for a two-state solution and that’s the direction of his diplomatic long game.
He has been busy working the politics of war and we have seen limits on his influence. We see, too, a limit on practical intervention.
A visa ban provides a reinforcement, of sorts, of the US commitment to solving this crisis and protecting Palestinians.
It is, however, a gesture limited in scale.
Dozens of people have been denied entry to the United States so far.
Biden critics will point to the thousands denied the right to life and to US culpability, as they would see it, in its support of Israel.
