Are European sanctions on Israeli settlers too little too late?

The recent sanctions on extremist Jewish Israeli settlers and the networks enabling them in the occupied West Bank that were imposed this week by the UK, France, Canada, Australia, and Norway are long overdue. In reality, Israel’s brutal colonial settlement project in the occupied Palestinian territories has continued to expand unabated for decades.

These Western sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans on six entities and one individual involved in financing and enabling the control of settlers and the construction of settlements, would have had a far greater impact if they had been introduced at least 20 years ago. At least then, the settlement project would have been nipped in the bud. After all, Israeli settlements have historically expanded and intensified during periods of "calm", for example, during the peace talks in Madrid, Oslo, and Camp David, long before the rise of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

It seems that the recent sanctions are a message to the current and future Israeli government, as elections near, of the necessity of returning to the path of negotiations with the Palestinians. This is the preferred outcome of Western countries because it is a way to "solve the conflict" without taking concrete steps to deter Israel from its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.

Pressure from below

These sanctions, which were also preceded by similar sanctions last month from the European Union, are the result of public pressure that has demanded the imposition of greater sanctions on Israel, especially regarding the halting of arms exports and the withdrawal of investments. Indeed, since the genocide in Gaza, the movement supporting Palestinian rights has gained massive momentum and plays an important role in the possibility of changing Western government policies towards Israel.

Despite the failure to meet many of the solidarity movement's demands, it has become clear that the question of Palestinian liberation is having a crucial impact on parliamentary elections in many Western countries. This was certainly the case during the local elections in Britain last month, when the Labour Party saw a massive decline in support, losing almost 1000 local council seats.

The sanctions are certainly not all that has been demanded from the solidarity base, and fail to address the true scale of Israel’s occupation and settlements. Furthermore, instead of seeking an end to the settlements themselves, the sanctions are being used to push towards a return to so-called negotiations. The problem of illegal settlements is being reduced to entities and specific individuals, rather than the policies of successive Israeli governments that ratify, finance, and support the project, and fail to address daily settler violence.

The impact remains to be seen

The true test of the recent sanctions will be the response of the banking systems in each country involved. Will dealings with Israeli banks that facilitate banking transactions for the relevant entities and individuals be halted? Will Israeli banks and international financial institutions cancel their dealings with entities listed on sanctions lists out of fear of prosecution, and with those who deal with them? If all of this does take place, this may have an impact.

The reality of occupation and settlement in the West Bank has become a daily crime against the Palestinian people, who are forced to endure theft, terrorism and killings. Despite this horrific reality being thoroughly documented and broadcast around the world, it is treated as though it is entirely normal that Palestinians must suffer through such treatment. It is the price they must pay for the Jewish people’s "historical right" promised to them 2000 years ago.

Since the imposition of sanctions by European and other Western nations, Israeli settlers have reacted in defiance. Yesterday, settlers targeted Al Tayeb village by torching its lands. The village itself has drawn international attention due to its Christian population, which had been previously visited by the current American Ambassador, Michael Huckabee.

In the face of these recent events and the ongoing historical injustice dealt to Palestinians, sanctions will be pointless if the crimes of Israeli settlements are not linked to the actions of the state of Israel. This must take place alongside concerted pressure to end the apartheid regime, which violates international law and the right of Palestinians to self-determination.

Rabeea Eid is a journalist and Social Media Manager at The New Arab. With over 15 years of experience in the media industry, he has worked extensively as a correspondent across both Britain and Palestine. Rabeea holds an MA in Journalism and Documentary Practice from the University of Sussex, as well as an MA in Media and Cultural Studies from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. His work focuses on activism, culture, and movements for political and social change.

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Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.