''A stain on Bank Leumi': Freezes Israeli account that Biden imposed sanctions on

February 4, 2024   

Bank Leumi announced today (Sunday) that Linon Levy, one of the four Israelis on whom the United States imposed sanctions, has had his accounts frozen. Levy holds two accounts at Bank Leumi: one personal, jointly with his wife, and the other business, jointly with his brother. Last Thursday, US President Biden signed a presidential order imposing sanctions on four Israelis who, according to the US State Department, were involved in violent activity against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. In addition to Levy, sanctions were imposed on Shalom Zichman, David Hai Hasdai and Inan Tangil. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded: "I regret the anti-Semitic campaign against settlers, which is then transferred to the US administration, which aligns itself with this campaign." The minister added: "I will ensure that banks do not harm Israeli citizens because of an unfounded order that has no justification. We are not a banana republic of the United States." MK Amit Halevi from the Likud sharply attacks Bank Leumi: "The announcement today by Bank Leumi Linon Levy, regarding the freezing of his accounts, is a serious violation of the right to property, civil rights and human rights. This is an indelible stain on a bank called 'Bank Leumi' that was founded for the purpose of Jewish settlement in Palestine according to Herzl's vision and in its act is collaborating with an anti-Semitic and false campaign," Halevi said. He added: "I demand that the Bank of Israel's banking supervisor impose the harshest sanctions against the bank and immediately return to Mr. Yinon Levy all of his rights and funds. "The bank's action joins a false anti-Semitic campaign, designed to create symmetry between tens of thousands of barbaric murderers in Gaza and the PA and pioneering Jewish settlers, who are defending their land and the entire country. This is serious discrimination by the American government, which has not acted in this way towards any Israeli prisoner, even those who have been convicted. Israel is a state of law and if anyone has a claim, it will be better to exhaust the legal procedures in Israel. This is a trampling of fair relations between countries and Israel must not allow this to become an agenda." Earlier, MK Zvi Sukkot from Religious Zionism met with Yinon Levy. "I came here to support Yinon Levy. What happened to him is one of the most bizarre things that could happen. A few leftists dressed up and simply published stories about him, any connection between them and reality is completely coincidental." "The Israel Police investigated the matter, there is no evidence of conspiracy, he has no indictment, criminal record or Shin Bet record, leftists simply don't like it when Jews establish farms." Referring to President Biden's order, Sukkot said: "Somehow it reached the American government, Biden issued an order freezing his assets in the United States, but the most bizarre part is that Bank Leumi called him and froze his bank account." Sukkot also sharply criticized Bank Leumi: "It doesn't make sense for an Israeli bank to freeze a person who is a salt of the earth's bank account because of a plot by leftists that reached the Americans. This is illegal. No one has the authority to seize a bank account from a mere citizen, and if this is not corrected, I will demand an urgent debate on the issue in the Knesset.".