LONDON: Israel’s foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced a series of sanctions from six Western countries against settler entities in the occupied West Bank for their role in increased settlement building and violence against Palestinians.
“Israel firmly rejects the disgraceful measures adopted by foreign governments against Israeli citizens, entities, and a government minister,” ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said in a statement.
“The real essence of these steps is the attempt to impose a political stance regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel and concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — camouflaged as measures against violence,” he added.
Britain on Tuesday announced a package of sanctions targeting what the government said were networks involved in financing, enabling and carrying out settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
The sanctions, which were coordinated with Canada, France and Norway, are aimed at disrupting the flows of finance that have “allowed extremist settler groups to act with impunity” in the West Bank, a British government statement said.
“Settler expansion and violence is illegal and a fundamental threat to the viability of a two-state solution, and to long-term peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis,” British foreign minister Yvette Cooper is expected to say in parliament later, according to advance excerpts of her remarks.
The government said continued illegal settlement expansion undermined the viability of a two-state solution, with record levels of settler violence “designed deliberately to destroy Palestinian homes and livelihoods in the West Bank.”
Britain also repeated its call on the Israeli government to end settlement expansion, clamp down on settler violence, prosecute those responsible, and lift ongoing restrictions on the functioning of the Palestinian economy.
The government also threatened further action if the situation does not improve.
Israel rejects charges that its troops shield settlers during attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, saying such actions are rogue incidents that violate military protocol and are investigated.
The British sanctions follow a UN inquiry which has found that Israeli authorities were directly involved in settler attacks that have killed, injured and displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli security forces provided protection to settlers.
Under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, London has paused free trade talks with Israel, suspended some arms export licenses and imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Last year Britain joined allies including France and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state.
