NJN Welcomes Groundbreaking Legislation to Combat Settlement Expansion
September 30, 2026 — New Jewish Narrative welcomes the introduction of groundbreaking legislation in the House of Representatives to confront the Israeli government’s accelerating expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
The Stop The Settlements Act – introduced by Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX)– would establish restrictions on goods produced in Israeli settlements and impose sanctions related to settlement construction and expansion. The sanctions would apply to individuals and businesses who engage in or facilitate settlement activity.
For far too long, the Israeli government has taken advantage of stagnation of the peace process to further establish facts on the ground, chipping away at prospects for the emergence of an independent Palestinian state. In recent years, the pace of settlement construction has skyrocketed. Since 2023, 185 new outposts have been established, over 100 new settlements created, more than 58,000 housing units advanced, and 25,959 dunams declared state land. The Israeli government is now moving to finalize construction in E1, one of the most consequential settlement projects in the West Bank.
“This legislation recognizes that the scale of settlement expansion requires more than expressions of concern,” said Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of New Jewish Narrative. “The Israeli government is systematically deepening its control over the West Bank and advancing de facto annexation. This bill makes clear that the United States will not stand idly by as settlement expansion further undermines Palestinian rights, Israel’s security, and the prospects for a negotiated future.
“US leadership on this issue is long overdue. The Stop The Settlements Act would give the United States meaningful new tools to push back against settlement expansion—not only by restricting settlement goods, but also by creating penalties for the individuals and businesses that facilitate settlement growth.”
While the Trump administration has taken little action to confront settlement activity, US allies have begun taking stronger action. The United Kingdom recently announced sanctions targeting West Bank settlements, while France, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, and others have taken or announced measures addressing settlement expansion.
Settlement expansion and the associated dispossession of Palestinians undermine the possibility of a viable Palestinian state and make a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict increasingly difficult. By establishing meaningful restrictions on settlement goods and sanctions related to settlement construction, this legislation would provide the United States with additional tools to oppose policies that entrench the occupation and advance de facto annexation.
New Jewish Narrative urges members of Congress to support the Stop The Settlements Act and take meaningful action to halt the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Photo Credit: Eliyau1234 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97191987
