UK announces sanctions against illegal Israeli settlers for attacks in West Bank

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) — The British government announced that it has imposed new sanctions on “extremist groups and individuals for inciting and perpetrating settler violence in the West Bank.”

In a statement on Friday, the government said the fresh measures follow an unprecedented rise in settler violence over the last year and come after a previous UK sanctions package in February. The sanctions impose financial restrictions on entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on individuals.

The measures follow an extraordinary rise in illegal settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording almost 800 incidents since October.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the sanction package includes two groups known to have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as four individuals responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses against these communities.

“Extremist settlers are undermining security and stability and threatening prospects for peace. The Israeli authorities must clamp down on those responsible. The UK will not hesitate to take further action if needed, including through further sanctions,” Cameron said.

The British government has shared details about the four individuals “sanctioned for egregious human rights abuses” against Palestinian communities.

Noam Federman: A radical settler activist and former leader and spokesperson of the now-defunct Kach party that espoused overtly racist and violent policies. He has trained settler groups to commit acts of violence against Palestinians and how to avoid repercussions from the Israeli state.

Neria Ben Pazi: An Israeli who is responsible for illegally constructing three illegal outposts between 2015 and 2023 and has supported and participated in acts of violence and displacement of Bedouin and Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Eden Levi: An activist who has been documented on multiple occasions as taking part in assaults and intimidation of Palestinians, as part of a wider intimidation campaign aiming to drive their population out of the area. As recently as Oct. 12, 2023, he was involved in an incident during which Palestinian villagers were beaten and sexually assaulted.

Elisha Yered: An unofficial spokesperson for the Hilltop Youth extremist group. He has a history of making inflammatory statements inciting religious hatred and violence, including justifying the killing of Palestinians on religious grounds and calling for the takeover of Palestinian land and the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank.