Britain Sanctions Four Israeli Settlers; Cameron Criticizes 'Extremists'

On Monday, Britain sanctioned four Israeli citizens for violent attacks against Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. David Cameron, the UK Foreign Secretary, referred to these individuals as 'extremist Israeli settlers' and imposed severe financial and travel restrictions on them. Their actions were described as a 'gross violation of human rights.' Cameron stated, 'Israeli extremists often threaten Palestinians with weapons and force them to leave land that is rightfully theirs.' The UK Foreign Office noted that last year, individuals illegally settled in unlawful West Bank settlements committed an unprecedented level of violence against Palestinians in those areas. Cameron remarked, 'This behavior is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger measures and stop settler violence.' He mentioned that Israel has often made commitments that have not been fulfilled. Cameron added, 'Extremist settlers undermine security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians by targeting and attacking civilian Palestinians.' Earlier this month, the United States also imposed sanctions on four Israeli men accused of involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The European Union is also considering sanctions against Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, but there has been no consensus among member states on such a decision. Four diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity regarding internal EU discussions, stated that Hungary and the Czech Republic, two close allies of Israel, clearly indicated during a committee meeting that they were not prepared to approve a proposal for sanctions against Israelis. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated, 'Terrorist actions are not on the same level as settler actions.' France, which is pushing for sanctions against settlers, is expected to soon impose travel bans against two or three individuals. Reports indicate that France hopes that once this punishment is enacted, European partners will be more inclined to act against the violence of some settlers. The EU has not specified what the sanctions will entail, but officials have indicated that they will include travel bans to the EU. Some information in this report is sourced from Reuters, AFP, and the Associated Press.