The Netzah Yehuda battalion is a special unit within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) created in 1999 to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jewish soldiers into the military. The unit accommodates the religious needs of these soldiers by allowing them to maintain their religious practices, such as limiting exposure to female soldiers and allowing time for prayers and religious studies.
The unit has been implicated in several controversial incidents, particularly involving violence against Palestinians. The most notable case that has garnered international attention is the death of Palestinian-American Omar Assad in 2022. Assad, aged 78, died after being detained, blindfolded, handcuffed, and abandoned in near-freezing conditions by members of the battalion. An autopsy indicated that the cause of death was a stress-induced heart attack. This led the US State Department to demand a criminal investigation, and the case is one of the reasons behind the consideration of sanctions against the unit by the Biden administration.
The possible sanctions are related to violations of human rights, as the Leahy Laws prevent US military assistance to foreign security forces or units involved in gross human rights violations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that an announcement regarding these sanctions could be made soon.
