‘Egregious human rights abuses’. UK sanctions Israeli settlers for violence against Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli outpost settler Zvi Bar Yosef

Noa Shpigel and others report in Haaretz on 12 February 2024:

The United Kingdom sanctioned four West Bank Israeli settlers on Monday who have been implicated in violence against Palestinians, continuing recent efforts and discussion by the international community on targeting extremist settler violence.

The four are: Moshe Sharvit, Yinon Levy – head of the Havat Meitarim settlement, Zvi Bar Yosef – head of the Havat Zvi settlement and Ely Federman, who was involved in many incidents against Palestinian shepherds south of Mount Hebron.

U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron highlighted that the sanctions are placed on those involved in “some of the most egregious abuses of human rights.”

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“Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs. This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through,” Cameron added.

In a statement, the U.K.’s Foreign Office described some of the settlers’ actions. “Two of the individuals designated today – Moshe Sharvit and Yinon Levy – have in recent months used physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities. One illegal outpost, set up by Zvi Bar Yosef, has been described by local Palestinian residents as a “source of systematic intimidation and violence.”Ely Federman, the statement added, has been “involved in multiple incidents against Palestinian shepherds in the South Hebron Hills.”

During a faction meeting at the Knesset, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to the sanctions, saying that “there’s a joint American, British, and Arab effort to establish a terrorist state” next to Israel.  “They see the polls,” Smotrich continued. “They see how the absolute majority of Israelis oppose this idea [of a Palestinian State].”  “These sanctions are against half a million settlers, against the settlements, against IDF soldiers and their commanders. We’ll wage a diplomatic campaign against them. We won’t let this go by quietly,” he added.

Two weeks ago, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order clearing the path for sanctions against four settlers, one of whom is Yinon Levy.

Last week, a second Israeli bank announced that it is blocking the account of David Chai Chasdai, a settler who was sanctioned by the United States. A few days prior, Bank Leumi decided to block the bank account of Yinon Levi.

The European Union is also began considering imposing their own sanctions on extremist settlers in the West Bank, following the U.S.’ sanctions.

A day after the American sanctions, Canada’s Prime Minister Justice Trudeau announced that it is looking at imposing sanctions on “extremist” settlers in the West Bank.  “We are looking into how to make sure that those responsible for extremist violence or extreme settler violence in the West Bank are held to account for it,” Trudeau told reporters in Waterloo, Ontario.

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