Key Takeaways
- Australia has imposed sanctions on seven Israelis and a youth group for participating in violent attacks against Palestinians.
- The sanctions mark the first time Australia has punished Israelis for settlement activity, and it sends a strong message about the importance of upholding international law.
- Australia’s sanctions aim to hold perpetrators of settler violence accountable and to cease Israeli settlement activity, which inflames tensions and undermines stability and prospects for a two-state solution.
Canberra: The Australian government on Thursday announced sanctions on some Israelis involved in settler violence in the West Bank, the first time the country has imposed such punishment against Israelis over settlement activity.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced financial sanctions and travel bans for seven Israelis and a youth group for participating in violent attacks against Palestinians.
“This includes beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death. The entity sanctioned is a youth group that is responsible for inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities,” Wong said in a statement.
The Australian government has consistently maintained that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law. International law is clear on this issue, and it’s essential to uphold it to protect Palestinian communities.
“We call on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and to cease its ongoing settlement activity, which only inflames tensions and further undermines stability and prospects for a two-state solution,” she said.
Speaking on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio, Wong said Australians should recognize the sanctions as a very substantial penalty.
