JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli leaders on Sunday harshly criticized an expected decision by the U.S. to impose sanctions on a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the Israeli military.
The decision, expected as soon as Monday, would mark the first time the U.S. has ever imposed sanctions on a unit inside the Israeli military and further strains relations between the two allies, which have grown increasingly tense during Israel’s war in Gaza.
While U.S. officials declined to identify the sanctioned unit, Israeli leaders and local media identified it as Netzah Yehuda — an infantry battalion founded roughly a quarter of a century ago to incorporate ultra-Orthodox men into the military. Many religious men receive exemptions from what is supposed to be compulsory service.
Israeli leaders condemned the decision as unfair, especially at a time when Israel is at war, and vowed to oppose it.
“If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit in the IDF, I will fight it with all my might,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Netzah Yehuda, or Judea Forever, has historically been based in the occupied West Bank and some of its members have been linked to abuses against Palestinians. It makes up just a small part of Israel’s military presence in the territory.
The unit came under heavy American criticism in 2022 after an elderly Palestinian-American man was found dead shortly after he was detained at a West Bank checkpoint.
A Palestinian autopsy said Omar Assad, 78, had underlying health conditions, but had suffered a heart attack caused by “external violence.”
It said doctors found bruises on his head, redness on his wrists from being bound and bleeding in his eyelids from being tightly blindfolded. A military investigation said that Israeli soldiers assumed that Assad was asleep when they cut off the cables binding his hands. They didn’t offer medical help when they saw that he was unresponsive and left the scene without checking to see if he was alive.
Assad had lived in the U.S. for four decades. After an outcry from the U.S. government, the Israeli military said the incident “was a grave and unfortunate event, resulting from moral failure and poor decision-making on the part of the soldiers.” It said one officer was reprimanded and two other officers reassigned to non-commanding roles, over the incident.
But the army decided against criminal prosecution, saying military investigators could not directly link their actions to the death of the U.S. citizen.
Human rights groups long have argued that Israel rarely holds soldiers accountable for the deaths of Palestinians.
Investigators said soldiers were forced to restrain Assad because of his “aggressive resistance.” Assad’s family has expressed skepticism that the behavior of an ailing 78-year-old could justify such harsh treatment.
Amid the uproar with the U.S., Israel moved Netzah Yehuda out of the West Bank in late 2022 and reassigned it to northern Israel. The battalion was moved to the southern border with Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the ongoing war.
In a statement Sunday, the army said its Netzah Yehuda soldiers “are currently participating in the war effort in the Gaza Strip.”
“The battalion is professionally and bravely conducting operations in accordance to the IDF Code of Ethics and with full commitment to international law,” it said. It said that if the unit is sanctioned, “its consequences will be reviewed.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that he had made a decision on reviews of allegations that several Israeli military units had violated conditions for receiving U.S. assistance outlined in the so-called Leahy Law and that they would soon be made public.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet, said in a statement that he spoke Sunday evening with Blinken and told him the decision is a “mistake” because it would harm Israel's international legitimacy during wartime and because Israel's judicial system is “strong and independent.”
Two U.S. officials familiar with the situation said the U.S. announcement could come as soon as Monday.
The officials said about five Israeli units were investigated and all but one had been found to have taken action to remedy the violations. The Leahy Law, named for former Sen. Patrick Leahy, bars U.S. aid from going to foreign military units that have committed human rights abuses.
A reservist in the Netzah Yehuda unit, Sgt. Maj. Nadav Nissim Miranda, said the Assad death was “an unfortunate incident” but also an aberration. He told Channel 12 TV that targeting the battalion would hurt efforts to encourage religious men to enlist.
But Yesh Din, an Israeli legal advocacy group, said the case was not isolated. It said one out of every five soldiers convicted of harming Palestinians or their property since 2010 comes from Netzah Yehuda, making it the unit with the highest conviction rate for such cases.
The U.S. review was launched before the Hamas war and not connected to recent Israeli actions inside Gaza or the West Bank — which has experienced a dramatic spike in deadly violence since the Gaza war erupted. The U.S. has also recently imposed sanctions against violent settlers.
Gadi Shamni, a retired general who once served as the military’s commander over the West Bank, said a main problem with the unit is that it was traditionally assigned exclusively to the West Bank. Violence between troops and Palestinians and settlers and Palestinians has surged there in recent years. In contrast, he said other units regularly rotate in and out of the volatile area.
He said the exposure to nonstop friction and violence had caused a level of “tiredness” among the troops. Nonetheless, he said it was a stereotype to punish the entire unit and it would have been better to target specific individuals or commanders.
But Ori Givati, the director of advocacy at Breaking the Silence, an Israeli group of former combat soldiers critical of Israel’s occupation, said the problems run much deeper than any particular unit.
He said abuses of power by soldiers toward Palestinians are systematic and the lack of repercussions for wrongdoings are fueling incidents like the death of Assad.
Israeli hard-liners blasted the expected U.S. decision. Israel’s ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said the U.S. crossed a “red line,” and Tally Gotliv, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, accused the U.S. of antisemitism.
But even the head of the opposition, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, rejected the move.
He said the sanctions are “a mistake and we must act to cancel them.” He noted that “the source of the problem is not at the military level but at the political level.”
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Jack Jeffery in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
FILE - Mourners carry the body of Omar Assad, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Israeli leaders on Sunday, April 21, 2024, harshly criticized an expected decision by the U.S. to impose sanctions on a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the Israeli military. The unit came under heavy American criticism in 2022 after the elderly Palestinian-American man was found dead shortly after he was detained at a West Bank checkpoint. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File)
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — It's a dilemma no business owner should have to face: whether to reopen after a mass shooting.
The answer didn't come easily to Justin and Samantha Juray. But when they did decide to reopen their Maine bowling alley, they didn't hold back.
When patrons returned Friday, six months after the gunman opened fire, they were impressed by the scenic images and messages of resilience at the end of each lane, bright paint on the walls and new floors. The Lewiston venue has undergone a complete makeover, giving it a vibrant, airy feel.
“It looks beautiful,” said Lena Galipeau, who works with a group of adults with disabilities who'd been anxious to return.
Samantha Juray gets emotional when recalling the events of Oct. 25, when the gunman killed eight people at the bowling alley before driving to a nearby bar and pool hall where he killed 10 more during the deadliest shooting in the state's history. He later died by suicide.
“It's never going to leave my head,” Juray said. “I think if we don't move forward — not that there was a point to this whole thing anyway — but we're just going to allow the people that have taken so much from us win.”
Justin Juray initially was dead-set against reopening and they also got some negative outside feedback. But that all changed, she said, as people in Lewiston rallied behind them. Within weeks, they knew they had to reopen, Samantha Juray said.
They decided to keep the same name: Just-In-Time Recreation. They call it that because when they bought the venue three years ago, the owner was days away from shutting it down. It also fits with Justin’s name.
John Robinson attended the reopening with his son Colin, who was there with his mother the night of the shooting. Robinson said it was emotional to return to the bowling alley — he'd also been to an earlier soft launch with families — but it also felt like a weight had been lifted. He knew all those who died at the bowling alley and counted them as friends.
“I can't say how great this day is,” he said. “An opportunity to celebrate their lives. To celebrate the rebirth of Just-In-Time.”
He said the reopening was important for bowlers across the region because there aren't many places to bowl in Maine and they're spread out.
Across the country, people have taken varied approaches after mass shootings. Barbara Poma, the former owner of the Pulse nightclub in Florida where 49 people were killed in 2016, said every situation and community is different.
“You are suddenly thrown into a state of shock, and emotions dictate your thoughts,” Poma said in an email. "Eventually you are forced to make a critical business decision based on how it will impact others emotionally and publicly. There just is no easy or right answer.”
The City of Orlando last year agreed to buy the Pulse nightclub site to create a memorial.
In Aurora, Colorado, a movie theater where 12 people were killed in 2012 later reopened under a new name. Buffalo’s Tops Friendly Market reopened in 2022, two months after 10 Black people were killed.
In Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary School was razed, and there also are plans to bulldoze Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
In Lewiston, Kathy Lebel, who owns the second business hit by the gunman, Schemengees Bar & Grille, also hopes to reopen at a different venue.
At the bowling alley, Tom Giberti said people are “so excited to get us back.”
Giberti, who has worked at the bowling alley for 20 years, is credited with saving the lives of at least four children the night of the shooting. He ushered them along a narrow walkway between the lanes to an area behind the pins. Before Giberti could get to safety himself, he was shot in both legs and hit with shrapnel.
After undergoing surgery, it wasn't long before Giberti stopped using the mobility walker he'd been given. These days, he enjoys playing golf and shows few physical signs of his injuries as he strides about the bowling alley.
A lot of people in Lewiston have helped get the venue reopened, he said.
“The community has been phenomenal,” Giberti said. “They’ve been right here for us, they’ve been supporting us.”
The makeover of the bowling alley includes a new scoring system and many tributes, including a table featuring pictures of the eight who died at Just-In-Time, and bowling pins with the names of the 18 shooting victims from both venues.
Among those killed were two bowling alley staff members. Most of the staff who survived are returning to work at the venue.
Samantha Juray said they are fully prepared to serve customers again and can’t wait to see the familiar faces of regulars as they get used to a new normal.
Among those planning to speak at a ceremony Friday afternoon is Maine's governor, Janet Mills, a Democrat.
“I’m excited about opening,” Juray said. “I know it’s definitely going to be a very long day, and probably an emotional day.”
Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.
Justin Juray, owner of Just In Time Recreation, greets a customer during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Josh Roy bowls at Just In Time Recreation, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, reopened to the public on Friday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Colin Robinson bowls at Just In Time Recreation during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A crowd of bowlers sign up for a lane during the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Katie Nichols bowls at Just In Time Recreation during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Justin Juray, owner of Just In Time Recreation, hugs a customer during the reopening of the bowling alley six months after a deadly mass shooting, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The names of some of the 18 victims of last October's mass shooting are memorialized on bowling pins at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The names of the eight people murdered last October at Just In Time Recreation are posted at the bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. A gunman also killed an additional 10 people at a local bar. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A sign of support is displayed at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A sign decorates a riverfront park, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The city was the scene of the state's deadliest mass shooting last October. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Bowler Ray St. Pierre walks through the newly-renovated Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
League bowlers compete at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A bowler takes aim at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after the state's deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Lucas Mitchum inspects the gutters on a lane at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3, seven months after Maines deadliest mass shooting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Last-minute decorations are installed prior to the reopening of Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Thomas Giberti describes the chaotic scene in which he saved several children by hustling them into the room that houses the pinsetting machines at a bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. Giberti survived despite being was hit by numerous bullets and shrapnel. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Thomas Giberti shows one of the numerous places he was shot while saving the lives of several children during a mass shooting at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
A sign of positivity decorates the lawn at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Photos of local scenes have been added to the decor at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The eight people who were killed last October while bowling at Just In Time Recreation are memorialized on a table top at the bowling alley, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Samantha Juray gets emotional while recalling the events of the mass shooting last October at the bowling alley she owns with her husband, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Justin Juray, right, owner of Just In Time Recreation, bumps fists with local bowler Moe St. Pierre, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed in last October's mass shooting, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Bowling pins labeled for each of the 18 victims of the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting are displayed at Just In Time Recreation, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. The bowling alley, where eight people were killed, was scheduled to reopen Friday, May 3. An additional 10 people were killed at nearby bar. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
