WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating Hilltop Youth, a violent extremist group that has repeatedly attacked Palestinians and destroyed Palestinian homes and property in the West Bank, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14115. Through these violent activities, Hilltop Youth is actively destabilizing the West Bank and harming the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Hilltop Youth has devastated Palestinian communities and carried out killings, mass arson, and other so-called “price tag” attacks to exact revenge and intimidate Palestinian civilians, and has repeatedly clashed with the Israeli military as it counters their activities.
“The worsening violence and instability in the West Bank are detrimental to the long-term interests of Israelis and Palestinians, and the actions of violent organizations like Hilltop Youth only exacerbate the crisis,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. “The United States will continue to hold accountable the individuals, groups, and organizations that facilitate these hateful and destabilizing acts.”
As noted in FinCEN’s February 1, 2024 Alert and July 11, 2024 Supplemental Alert, the United States has consistently opposed violence in the West Bank, including attacks by Israeli violent extremist settlers against Palestinians and attacks by Palestinian violent extremists against Israelis. The United States will continue to seek accountability and justice for all acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank, regardless of the perpetrator or the victim. Treasury remains concerned by reports of escalating violence in the West Bank and encourages continued reporting by financial institutions of suspicious activity potentially related to the financing of these violent acts.
Concurrently, the Department of State is designating two individuals pursuant to E.O. 14115. Eitan Yardeni is being designated for his connection to violence or threats of violence targeting civilians in the West Bank. Avichai Suissa leads Hashomer Yosh, a West Bank-based entity designated by the United States in July 2024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of individuals and entities blocked pursuant to E.O. 14115.
Violent ORGANIZATION ENGAGED IN “PRICE TAG” ATTACKS AND OTHER VIOLENCE
Hilltop Youth is a violent group comprised of extremist Israeli settlers. In organized group violence and “price tag” attacks—a term created by violent settler extremists indicating that acts against their interests would carry a price—Hilltop Youth has conducted a campaign of violence against Palestinians, engaging in killings, arson, assaults, and intimidation intended to drive Palestinian communities out of the West Bank. In the April 2024 attack on the Palestinian town of al-Mughayyir, for example, Hilltop Youth set fire to homes, buildings, and vehicles, beat villagers, looted property, including livestock, and left one Palestinian dead. In June 2023, hundreds of members of Hilltop Youth attacked the Palestinian town of Turmus Aiya and burned homes, cars, and fields, leaving another Palestinian dead and others injured. Hilltop Youth has also vandalized churches and mosques, spray-painted hateful graffiti messages on Palestinian-owned property, and uprooted olive trees in its effort to intimidate and spread fear. Israel has declared that perpetrators of “price tag” attacks constitute an illegal organization and Hilltop Youth has been sanctioned in various jurisdictions around the world.
OFAC is designating Hilltop Youth pursuant to E.O. 14115 for being a foreign person that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in an act of violence or threat of violence targeting civilians, affecting the West Bank.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 14115. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.
Financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.
For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.
Click here for more information on the persons designated today.
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