European Union imposes new sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank

The European Union imposed a new round of sanctions on Monday, July 15, on Israeli settlers and activist groups it considers responsible for violations “serious and systematic” Palestinian rights in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

To his list of settlers and groups “extremists” or others “violent activists”the EU is adding five more individuals and three more entities, according to a statement from the Council of the European Union, which represents member states. This brings the total number of individuals and entities on the list to fourteen, following an initial announcement of sanctions in April.

The sanctions include freezing assets and banning visas to enter the European Union. The organizations targeted this time are Moshe’s Farm, Zvi’s Farm and the Tzav 9 group, accused among other things of blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and fuel into the Gaza Strip byr “violent actions”the press release underlines.

The five individuals sanctioned include Moshe Sharvit and Zvi Bar Yosef, the leaders of the Moshe’s Farm and Zvi’s Farm settlements. All have already been subject to sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada since the spring. The other three are Isaschar Manne, Ben-Zion “Bentzi” Gopstein (whose Lehava organization was sanctioned by the EU in April), and Baruch Marzel, who “openly called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians”according to the press release from the Twenty-Seven.

The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since the beginning of last year, particularly since war between Israel and Hamas broke out in the Gaza Strip on October 7.