Should the international community sanction Israel over settler violence in West Bank?

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The problem of Israeli terrorism is getting worse and worse. Just over the past few weeks amongst other things Israeli terrorists have killed multiple people, commited sexual assault, beaten and threatened to rape young Palestinian girls, continually attacked the residents and property of the only remaining fully Christian town in the West Bank, stolen 100s of sheep from the Bedouin community, beaten activists who are there to provide a protective presence to Palestinians, set fire to property.

Palestinians don't have the right to defend themselves from this violent, rapidly escalating Israeli terrorism. They can't arrest and detain the Israeli terrorists. They are sitting ducks with no means of protecting themselves from beatings and sexual violence. Is it time that the international community steps in and sanctions Israel until they can control their obvious terrorism problem? What else can be done to try and protect innocent people from this escalating Israeli violence?

It's totally out of control.

Does anyone know where all the Palestinians are going once they are forced from their homes?

This state backed racism and terrorism is an international crime and a stain on democracy. I hope there are huge trials and that many are imprisoned for what they are doing to innocent people right now.

It's sickening what they are being allowed to get away with.

I never implied that Israel was involved, you're just reading into it what you want to. He's blaming Israel. Not the attackers.

@rainingsnoring will be well aware the "Jews control the world" is an antisemitic trope - it has been discussed on this board several times.

Swapping the word Jews for "Israel" (or "Zionists" as I've also seen people do), is disingenuous.

They will also be aware that it is offensive & inflammatory to repeat the vile accusation that Israel "allowed" the 7/10/23 massacre to happen, which they did earlier on this thread in now deleted posts.

This.

The thread has already had at least one big diversion. Sticking to the facts or at least presenting opinions for what they are is the best way to keep a thread on track.

Conspiracy theories need to be challenged which distracts from the main topic under discussion.

If the majority of (currently silent) Israeli citizens really are against this horrific and violent government stealing land in the West Bank and terrorising innocent people they will vote Netanyahu out in the upcoming election.

It will be interesting to see, once and for all, if the citizens of Israel actually support this genocidal, racist, maniac.

He did not blame Israel. He blamed the US's support of Israel. I am not sure what your opinion of him was but to me he was a US politician who objected to what he perceived as Israeli interference in US politics. Something I've been hearing from quite a few US politicians today.

Do you mean unilateral to the UK or to Europe? I don’t believe that the US has to get behind them in order for them to be effective. The US are no longer our allies and that is never going to happen. Waiting for the US to intervene would be tantamount to giving up.
European countries, however, could do a lot more together, so sanctions would not be unilateral (to the UK).
According to QMV procedures, Europeans don’t need consensus to challenge Israel and its settlements:

‘Here, the EU’s focus on unanimity voting is a distraction—and arguably an excuse for inaction. While consensus remains a prerequisite for foreign policy decisions, meaningful action can be taken in areas such as trade through Qualified Majority Voting (QMV). Under this procedure, measures require the support of only 55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU’s population. Unlike foreign policy decisions, a single government cannot veto action, which the EU can use to its benefit to put pressure on Israel.’

This would not simply be virtue signalling as restricting access to the European market is perfectly possible with a majority vote and this would have certainly have leverage.

‘The EU’s most immediate priority should be ending trade and investment relations with Israeli settlements. Such measures would directly challenge the financial viability and expansion of the settlement enterprise, in line with the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. A growing number of member states, including Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands, support an outright trade ban with Israeli settlements. Crucially, the EU could adopt this through QMV as a trade measure aimed at ensuring consistency with international law, bypassing many of the political obstacles paralysing the EU’s response.’

I agree that support is unquestionably falling but current measures in place to stop this terror are clearly not working and playing the waiting game is proving to be devastating for the Palestinians. Meaningful action must be taken.

Sorry, meant to ref source
ecfr.eu/article/europeans-dont-need-consensus-to-challenge-israel-and-its-settlements/

@Ellen2shoes ,

That is an interesting article, thank you.

It does, however, go on to say that they haven’t got a qualified majority yet and Italy or Germany would have to swing behind it.

I am surprised they talk about boycotting trade with the settlements themselves as I would have thought they don’t produce or consume much to export/import to the EU.

I do find it hard to believe that the EU can’t even come to a consensus on Ben G’vir and Smotrich. Surely it is obvious that they are racists and have encouraged crimes?!

But, yes, I agree with you. If the Uk and EU could sanction Israel together, it should have an effect.

Ursula Von Der Leyen would be an issue. I think she is bought and paid for. Although as President of the Commission she could be a serious block, she could be bypassed.

Evidence that Ursula Von Der Leyen is "bought and paid for"?

It's a very serious allegation.

I said I believe. It's the only way I can understand her unwavering support for Israel. In 2023, absolutely understandable. Now?? To me, it's the only explanation.

She doesn't always show unwavering support for Israel though?

Back in September 2025 she called for a suspension of free trade with Israel, as she spoke of Europe’s “painful” inability to respond to the war on Gaza and ensuing humanitarian disaster.

In her most extended condemnation yet of the Israeli government, von der Leyen criticised plans for illegal settlements that would split the occupied West Bank in half, as well as incitement of violence by extremist Israeli ministers, as a “clear attempt to undermine the two-state solution”.

She made the remarks during her annual “state of the union” speech to the European parliament in Strasbourg, in which she depicted a turbulent world where battle lines “are being drawn” and “dependencies are ruthlessly weaponised”.

Describing Europe’s inability to agree on a response to Gaza as painful, von der Leyen said the EU executive would freeze its bilateral support for Israel, apart from funds for civil society groups and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre. The commission would also table proposals to suspend the trade parts of the EU-Israel association agreement and draft sanctions against Israeli extremist ministers and violent settlers in the West Bank, she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/10/ursula-von-der-leyen-suspension-eu-trade-israel

More recently, in July 2026 she defended Brussels’ response to the war in Gaza, suggesting it is EU capitals – not the EU executive – that are holding up further action.

Speaking in Cork, alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the start of Ireland’s six-month presidency of the Council, von der Leyen faced questions over why the Commission had not acted on calls for measures to prevent trade with illegal Israeli settlements, amid mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

“The ball is in the court of the member states,” she said, speaking from one of the bloc’s most outspoken countries on the war in Gaza.

She noted that the Commission proposed suspending trade preferences under the EU-Israel Association Agreement ten months ago, but failed to get the approval of national governments in the Council.

The Commission is now expected to present an options paper outlining the legal avenues for banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers later this month.

“So you see there is activity and a lot of activity going on,” von der Leyen said. “But in the Council right now no move forward with a solution or an agreement on how to proceed.”

https://www.euractiv.com/news/von-der-leyen-defends-commission-on-israel-blames-eu-governments-for-inaction/

Sorry Twiglets but I know you've heard the expression lip service. There was no delay in sanctioning Russia. Mike Huckabee's expressed disapproval is nothing more than the same.

Have to agree to disagree @Squeezingwildoranges

Even if I accept that she could personally have done more, which is not clear, there's no evidence that she was "bought and paid for".

Fine to disagree. The term bought and paid for is not mine. It is attributed to many of our top level politicians. Like I said, no problem sanctioning Russia, kicking them out of Eurovision, banning them from FIFA, etc, etc. If someone came along who had no knowledge of politics or history, they would find the decision very peculiar.

Which UK top politicians have said that Ursula VDL is "bought and paid for"?

No one has. I'm talking about British politicians who have been bought and paid for as well all the other western politicians, especially the US ones. Send 3 billion as approved government expenditure and get a billion back into private bank accounts. Guess what. I don't have any verifiable quotes to support that. I wonder why.

You're talking nonsense.

The term bought and paid for is not mine. It is attributed to many of our top level politicians.

Which top politicians said that? No one has

If the political will to stop the ethnic cleansing really existed, I believe the situation could be managed to ensure replacements were sourced in good time. They should advise other companies to start stock piling asap.

According to trusty AI, Teva’s pharms are mostly generic and easily replaced. The difficulty is the sheer volume which would need to be produced and supplied over a period of months. Going by the current trajectory of the Israel state, it is only a matter of time before sanctions. Nothing else is going to stop them from committing these crimes. European countries should be making preparations.
edited @Squeezingwildoranges

They could always go to Jordan.

That was the original Arab State before we screwed the Jews over by appeasing the Arabs.

It has 4 times the land mass of Israel and the 'occupied territories' combined (78% of the British Mandate), with a population of only 11 million vs 15 million.

70% of Jordan's population is already Palestinian and the vast majority of West Bank Palestinians held Jordanian citizenship prior to 1988.

Palestinians and their descendants are still classed as refugees 78 year later so why not resettle them at last?

Also 'Settler' violence seems a very one-sided take to me. The attacks on Israelis hardly warrant a mention in the MSM. There is a lot of anger about checkpoints, raids and security measures but I wouldn't like to imagine how many more attacks there would be without them.

Especially as the West Bank is on an elevation above Israel.

Seems to me it would be safer for everyone if there was a big buffer zone between Palestinians and Israelis.

Terror in West Bank: Israeli man seriously wounded, two attackers killed | The Jerusalem Post

Violence surges in West Bank as three Israelis killed and reprisals reported | CNN

Israeli killed in terror attack at Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank; 3 others wounded | The Times of Israel

Four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen near West Bank settlement - BBC News

The West Bank: A 3-year crisis led by Palestinian terrorist groups - FDD's Long War Journal

@OpenScroller no they should not go to bloody Jordan to make space for some American who has decided to move to Israel.

Advocating for ethnic cleansing is never a good luck.

Agree . Just shows though the mindset of some people .