Iran. Cuba. North Korea. Russia. Syria. Tzav 9? Among this veritable “who’s who” of picture-perfect travel destinations currently under US sanctions is an Israeli entity known as Tzav 9 (Order 9).
The administration of US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Friday on this obscure group of activists for attacking humanitarian aid convoys destined for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, in the latest round of penalties against Israelis accused by Washington of undermining efforts toward peace and stability.
Providing humanitarian assistance to civilians in wartime is an important Jewish and humanitarian value, that should be upheld. Israel’s involvement in delivering and helping to distribute that aid to an enemy population in wartime —, particularly one that is holding its citizens hostage — has, however, understandably sparked intense debate among its politicians and public.
Knowledge that some of that aid reaches Hamas, only makes that debate more charged.
There have been multiple accusations, both from watchdog groups and Gazan civilians themselves of how Hamas has repeatedly stolen international aid destined for its civilians. This is the same Hamas who brought war to the Gazan people on October 7.
The group defended itself in a statement, saying, “The effort to prevent a rightful democratic nonviolent protest in order to keep supplying Hamas with aid during the war goes against any American and liberal values.
“Much of the aid transferred to Gaza falls directly into the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, which massacred, murdered, and raped hundreds of women, elderly, and children (including American citizens), rather than going to the Gazan civilians.”
Tzav 9 has not been alone in its actions, either. Over the months, hostages’ relatives have also appeared at the border crossings into Gaza in attempts to block humanitarian aid from entering the Strip in an attempt to protest against the failure to secure the release of their loved ones and the lack of aid reaching them.
The Biden administration, however, never decided to sanction the hostages’ families.
Biden administration detached from reality
While clearly not at the top of the sanction heap in terms of quantity or importance, the sanctioning of Israeli groups that are in effect protesting any help given to Hamas while Israelis remain in captivity shows the detachment from reality in this part of the world that the Biden administration exists in.
The US has taken action against Jewish groups and individuals involved in “violence and human rights abuses” in the region before, but it is relatively rare. The recent sanctions on Tzav 9 are not unprecedented but still notable.
They join those West Bank Jews who last year were banned from entering the US and whose assets were frozen because of altercations with local Palestinians. The new sanctions bar members of Tzav 9 from financial transactions with American entities and restrict their travel to the US. Any assets they have in the US will be frozen. The State Department also called on the Israeli government to ensure the safety of humanitarian convoys transiting through Israel and the West Bank en route to Gaza.
However, targeting a group like Tzav 9, specifically for obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza, is particularly notable because it highlights the US government’s concern over actions that exacerbate humanitarian crises.
Nobody should be higher up on the US’s list of groups exacerbating humanitarian crises right now than Hamas or Hezbollah. Certainly not Tzav 9.
The announcement by the State Department of the financial restrictions labels Tzav 9 a “violent extremist” group, and last month, after two aid trucks were attacked in Israel en route to Gaza, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters in Washington: “It is a total outrage that there are people who are attacking and looting these convoys.
“We are looking at the tools that we have to respond to this,” Sullivan said. “We are also raising our concerns at the highest level of the Israeli government and it’s something that we make no bones about – this is completely and utterly unacceptable behavior.”
Well, Mr. Sullivan. After nearly nine months of war – nine months of innocent Israeli citizens being held hostage in the apartments of Gazan civilians, nine months of Hamas continuing to prevent any ceasefire deal from being signed despite Israel’s willingness to compromise, nine months of Israel’s North suffering daily bombardment from Hezbollah terrorists – we have here a different definition of what is “completely and utterly unacceptable behavior.”