April 28, 2025
Mr. Nadler (for himself, Mr. Smith of Washington, and Mr. Himes) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To prevent violence in the West Bank and authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to any foreign person endangering United States national security and undermining prospects for a two-state solution by committing illegal violent acts.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
(1)
The situation in the West Bank—in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction—has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.
(2)
These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom.
(3)
They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests.
(4)
These actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Sec. 3. Sanctions
(a) In general
The President shall impose sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person determined by the President to meet any of the following:
(1)
To be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in any of the following:
(A)
Actions, including directing, enacting, implementing, enforcing, or failing to enforce policies, that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank.
(B)
Planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in any of the following actions affecting the West Bank:
(i)
An act of violence or threat of violence targeting civilians.
(ii)
Efforts to place civilians in reasonable fear of violence with the purpose or effect of necessitating a change of residence to avoid such violence.
(iii)
Property destruction.
(iv)
Seizure or dispossession of property by private actors.
(2)
To be or have been a leader or official of—
(A)
an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, any of the activities described in paragraph (1), (5), or (6) related to the leader’s or official’s tenure; or
(B)
an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked under this Act as a result of activities relating to the leader’s or official’s tenure.
(3)
To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any person blocked under this Act.
(4)
To be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection (b)(1).
(5)
To have committed or have attempted to commit, to pose a significant risk of committing, or to have participated in training to commit acts of terrorism affecting the West Bank.
(6)
To be a leader or official of an entity sanctioned pursuant to paragraph (5).
(b) Sanctions described
The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:
(1) Asset blocking
(A) In general
Notwithstanding the requirements of section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), the President shall exercise all powers granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of any foreign person described in subsection (a) of this section, if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person, including any foreign branch.
(B) Matters to be included
The prohibitions in subparagraph (A) include—
(i)
the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
(ii)
the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
(2) Visas, admission, or parole
(A) In general
An alien who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, is described in subsection (a) is—
(i)
inadmissible to the United States;
(ii)
ineligible for a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and
(iii)
otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States or to receive any other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked
(i) In general
The issuing consular officer, the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued to an alien described in subparagraph (A) regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is issued.
(ii) Effect of revocation
A revocation under clause (i)—
(I)
shall take effect immediately; and
(II)
shall automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien’s possession.
(c) Exceptions
(1) Exception to comply with international obligations
Sanctions under subsection (b)(2) shall not apply with respect to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the United States is necessary to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States, or other applicable international obligations.
(2) Exception relating to law enforcement objectives
Sanctions under section (b)(2) may not be imposed if the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, so determines, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General, that the person’s entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives.
(d) Waivers
(1) National security
The Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the imposition of sanctions under section (b)(2) if the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, determines that the person’s entry would not be contrary to the interests of the United States.
(2) Prior notice inapplicable
The Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, may, due to the threat to national security risks individuals sanctioned under this section and their actions pose and because of the ability to transfer funds and other assets instantaneously, waive prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this section as such notice would render those measures ineffectual, including for those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked or affected by this section who might have a constitutional presence in the United States.
Sec. 4. Report
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this Act, including the names of any persons sanctioned by this Act.
Sec. 5. Definitions
In this Act—
(1)
the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(A)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Finance of the House of Representatives; and
(B)
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate;
(2)
the term entity means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
(3)
the term person means an individual or entity;
(4)
the term United States person means—
(A)
a United States citizen;
(B)
a permanent resident alien of the United States;
(C)
an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity; or
(D)
a person in the United States; and
(5)
the term terrorism means an activity that—
(A)
involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life, property, or infrastructure; and
(B)
appears to be intended—
(i)
to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii)
to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii)
to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, kidnapping, or hostage-taking.