Israel lashes Australia for ‘disgraceful’ sanctions on extremist settlers

Tensions have flared again between Australia and Israel after the federal government joined a coalition of countries to impose extra sanctions on extremist settlers in the West Bank and the organisations that support them.

Israel lashed out at Australia and the other countries for adopting what it labelled “disgraceful” sanctions, accusing them of fuelling antisemitism in their own nations.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday night, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her counterparts from France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Norway said: “For too long, violent settlers have been able to act with near impunity, and settlement expansion and creation of outposts continue with the support and facilitation of the government of Israel.

“In some cases, settler violence takes place under the protection of Israel’s security forces.

“We continue to urge the government of Israel to take action to ensure meaningful accountability for violence in the West Bank.”

The foreign ministers said: “Extremist violent settlers, with the backing of their supporters, continue to attack Palestinians and abuse their human rights.

“They use violence to displace Palestinians, destroy property and perpetuate the illegal settlement enterprise, undermining the viability of the State of Palestine and the prospects for peaceful coexistence.”

This masthead reported last year on the surge of settler violence in the West Bank over recent years.

Australia last week imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on three Israeli individuals and four entities in response to escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The extremist settlers who were sanctioned include Ben Zion Gopstein, the leader of a far-right settler organisation called Lehava and a disciple of Meir Kahane, a US-born rabbi who promoted the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The US State Department has found that “under Gopstein’s leadership, Lehava and its members have been involved in acts or threats of violence against Palestinians, often targeting sensitive or volatile areas”.

Extremist settlers Eden Levi and Moshe Sharvit, who are accused by Australia of engaging in attacks and intimidation of Palestinians, have also been sanctioned.

Settler farming outposts that serve as bases for extremist settlers were also sanctioned, meaning Australians cannot provide them with financial support.

The UK went further by adding official guidance advising businesses against economic and financial activity in illegal settlements in the West Bank.

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