The EU will sanction several Israeli settlers who committed acts of violence against Palestinians, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas announced on Monday.
The agreement also included sanctioning leading Hamas figures.
"It was high time we moved from deadlock to delivery," Kallas said. "Extremisms and violence carry consequences."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar decried the move, saying the EU was “imposing sanctions on Israeli citizens and bodies because of their political views and without any basis.”
“Equally outrageous is the unacceptable comparison the European Union has chosen to make between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists. This is a completely distorted moral equivalence.”
“Expecting the antisemitic European Union to make a moral decision is like expecting the sun to rise in the west. While our enemies carry out attacks and murder Jews, the European Union is trying to tie the hands of those defending themselves,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said.
“I call on Justice Minister Yariv Levin to advance, in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, MK Limor Son Har-Melech’s bill that would prevent banks from implementing these shameful sanctions against this wonderful public. I also call on the foreign minister to state clearly and firmly that Israel will not accept the political persecution of its citizens, and to act to cancel these shameful decrees. The settlement movement will not be deterred. We will continue to build, plant, defend, and settle throughout the Land of Israel.”
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan also condemned the decision, saying the EU was “giving a tailwind to terrorism.”
Sanctions list targets institutional, financial bodies
The most significant change in the sanctions list is its focus on institutional and financial bodies, not only individuals. The central target is Amana, a major settlement organization, with asset freezes and transaction bans expected to complicate its activity with financial institutions.
The list also includes Hashomer Yosh, which the EU links to support for farms and outposts that have become friction points in the West Bank. Other targets include Lehava, led by Bentzi Gopstein, and the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in Yitzhar.
Individuals named in the list include Meir Ettinger, identified with the Hilltop Youth; Elisha Yered, a prominent activist in Area C; veteran right-wing activist Baruch Marzel; and Zohar Sabah, who is associated with activity on isolated agricultural farms.
Last week, EU Ambassador to Israel, Michael Mann, confirmed the EU was moving toward sanctioning violent settlers, noting that recent political changes in Hungary could lead to actions against Israel.
"For a long time, we had plans in Brussels to impose additional sanctions on extreme settlers in the West Bank. This was blocked by one country’s vote.”
“I’m not sure I can confidently say that this will change now, but it definitely seems like this is the direction," Mann said during the conference.
EU plans €6 million program to support Palestinian victims of extremist settler violence
Recently, the Palestinian Authority announced that the EU would launch a plan to support Palestinian victims of settler violence in the West Bank.
“In coordination with the government, the European Union will launch a program to support victims of settler terrorism,” Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa announced in a statement.
A source in the office of the EU representative in the Palestinian territories told Agence France-Presse that the EU would support civil society organizations with protective equipment, “such as fences for Palestinian communities facing attacks from settlers,” and a protective presence.
Anna Barsky contributed to this report.