France leading push for sanctions against Israeli ‘settlers’

Paris working with its allies to prepare punitive actions against Israeli citizens accused of violence in Judea and Samaria.

By World Israel News Staff

France is working with several countries on coordinated national sanctions against Israeli citizens accused of violence in Judea and Samaria, European diplomats said, according to a report by Reuters.

The measures under discussion would include travel bans and asset freezes, according to three European diplomats cited by Reuters. The sanctions have not yet been finalized, and participating countries may adopt different lists of targets.

The effort reflects the difficulty of advancing measures against Israel through the European Union, where broader steps require agreement among member states.

“There is no unanimity at the EU level, so we have moved to discussions at the national level,” one diplomat said.

Two diplomats said an announcement could come in the coming days. Another said Britain and Norway were among the countries coordinating with France, though it was not immediately clear which other governments might join.

The possible sanctions come amid growing European criticism over Israeli policies in Judea and Samaria.

A French diplomatic source said Paris had already acted against so-called “settler violence” and settlement expansion, but signaled that more steps may be coming.

“In the face of settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank, we have already taken measures. More could follow,” the source said.

Britain’s Foreign Office declined to comment, and Norway’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The push follows an EU decision on May 11 to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens accused of violence in Judea and Samaria, as well as several settlement organizations and members of the Hamas terror organization. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed that move at the time, saying, “It was high time we move from deadlock to delivery.”

“Extremisms and violence carry consequences,” Kallas said.

Israel condemned the sanctions, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar saying that the EU had “chosen, in an arbitrary and political manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities because of their political views and without any basis.”

He also accused the bloc of drawing “a completely distorted moral equivalence” between Israeli citizens and Hamas.

The latest French-led effort comes after a May 22 joint statement by several Western governments, including France, Britain, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy and New Zealand, accused Israel of worsening instability in Judea and Samaria.

The countries said “settler violence is at unprecedented levels” and warned that Israeli government policies were undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.

They also singled out the E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, a long-delayed plan that would connect Jerusalem to Ma’ale Adumim and, according to critics, effectively block the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

“International law is clear: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. Construction projects in the E1 area would be no exception,” the governments said.

They warned that the E1 plan “would divide the West Bank in two and mark a serious breach of international law,” and cautioned businesses against bidding for E1 or other settlement construction projects.