Six countries sanction enablers of settler violence in occupied West Bank

The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and Norway have imposed coordinated sanctions targeting networks involved in financing, enabling and carrying out settler violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The move on Tuesday came in response to record illegal settlement expansion and rising violence by settlers in the West Bank, according to multiple statements.

“With our British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and Norwegian partners, we are today imposing new sanctions against those responsible for intensifying colonisation and violence in the West Bank,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on social media.

After issuing the new sanctions, the six Western countries warned that they were prepared to take further measures if the Israeli government failed to adequately address the situation on the ground.

Barrot noted that France has also banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, three leaders of settler groups and 21 settlers from entering the country over violence in the West Bank.

Israel’s foreign ministry denounced the sanctions shortly after they were announced.

“Israel firmly rejects the disgraceful measures adopted by foreign governments against Israeli citizens, entities, and a government minister,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oren Marmorstein said in a statement.

“The real essence of these steps is the attempt to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel and concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – camouflaged as measures against violence,” added Marmorstein.