EU Approves Sanctions on Violent Israeli Settlers. Critics Say It's Not Enough.

"27 foreign ministers of EU countries greenlit imposing sanctions on violent settlers and settler groups on Monday, after deciding to sanction Hamas leaders as well. The decision came at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, which discussed major Middle East political portfolios. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced the move, saying it was “high time for us to move from deadlock to delivery,” and adding that “extremisms and violence carry consequences.”"

"French FM Jean Noël Barrot said that the EU decided to sanction groups and leaders of Israeli settlers responsible for “serious and intolerable acts that must cease without delay.” In Israel, the decision was received with outrage from the entire political establishment. Israel's Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, called the decision “arbitrary and political,” denouncing what he described as an “outrageous comparison” between Israeli settlers and Hamas members."

"Israel's hardline National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who himself comes from the violent settler movement, called the EU “antisemitic.” Ben-Gvir also called upon the government to approve the bill presented by his own party to ban banks in Israel from implementing the sanctions. Since October 2023, Israeli settler groups have carried out up to 3,000 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the UN."

EU foreign ministers approved sanctions targeting violent Israeli settler groups and Hamas leaders. The decision followed a meeting in Brussels focused on major Middle East political portfolios. The EU foreign policy chief said the EU should move from deadlock to delivery and that extremism and violence carry consequences. A French foreign minister said the sanctioned groups and leaders were responsible for serious and intolerable acts that must stop immediately. In Israel, the decision was met with outrage across the political establishment. The foreign minister called it arbitrary and political and rejected comparisons between settlers and Hamas. The national security minister called the EU antisemitic and urged legislation to prevent Israeli banks from implementing the sanctions. UN reporting links settler violence since October 2023 to thousands of attacks and displacement of Palestinian communities.

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