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?

Are Israeli charities helping British people become settlers and are tax payers subsidising it through gift aid? Why are these organisations being hosted at events in the UK at all? This event was apparently put on by the World Zionist Organisation whose goals are to establish a home in Palestine for the Jewish people secured under public law through the expedient promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and tradesmen in Palestine. This organisation have a history taking private Palestinian land and giving it to Israeli settlers. Why are this organisation allowed to operate in the UK? Who are the people going to these events and making them possible? This all needs to be investigated properly, wishy washy responses are the norm at this point but the government needs to do better.

www.declassifieduk.org/uk-politicians-call-for-sanctions-on-israeli-charity/

I don't know if it has been mentioned here yet, but remember Biden did sanction settlers:

US issues new batch of sanctions targeting West Bank settlers amid rampant violence | The Times of Israel

As did the UK :

New UK sanctions target illegal outposts and organisations supporting extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The EU is more complex. France was pushing hard for it:

New EU Sanctions on Israeli Settlers, Says France - Observer Diplomat

Believe Trump rescinded in January 2025. From Reuters at that time:

During his first term in 2019, Trump had abandoned the long-held U.S. position that the settlements are illegal before it was restored by Biden.
Israel Ganz, chairman of the main Yesha settler council who has close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Reuters in October that he expected the sanctions to be lifted in the event of a Trump win.

www.reuters.com/world/trump-cancels-sanctions-far-right-israeli-settlers-occupied-west-bank-2025-01-21/

Because the settlers are aided by the state of Israel and the IDF I believe that the state of Israel should be sanctioned. It isn't enough to just sanction individual settlers themselves when it is the government who are aiding and encouraging the violence.

Absolutely agree. Fobbing off.

I saw this today, Israeli extremist settlers are making a play for Syria too.

https://truthout.org/articles/far-right-israeli-settler-movement-enters-syria-in-a-push-for-greater-israel/

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/04/28/eu-ready-to-sanction-israel-over-russian-vessel-carrying-stolen-ukrainian-grain

This is what it takes for the EU to threaten Israel with sanctions?!

Agree, it’s money that makes them move, forget the systematic violations of international law. Still let’s hope that being ‘ready’ really means carrying it through. I don’t know if Germany and Italy could scupper this too

1000% they should !!! Apart from few good countries all of them are wet lettuces and the history will mark them as being complicit to a gNcd !!!

This just about sums up the EU limp reaction:

EU rebukes Israel over advance beyond ceasefire line.

What are they going to do, confiscate their phones?

It is somewhat misleading as Italy and Germany blocked, otherwise there’s a huge push. I was trying to find data and interestingly Germany was close but Italy massively voted against. Not sure how valid this data is though. It’s horribly framed as a ‘live’ issue.

euobserver.com/214609/eu-rebukes-israel-over-advance-beyond-gaza-ceasefire-line/

The whole tone was much more critical towards Israel. Although no current unanimity - the numbers of states who feel something needs to be done appears to be stacking up.
Interestingly, Italy’s voting position does not appear to be aligned with Italian voters concerns.

« In Italy, the shift has been one of the most dramatic in Western Europe. While Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has positioned Italy as a key strategic interlocutor for the US and Israel, Italian civil society has moved toward open resistance.
Public Opinion: As of May 2026, surveys indicate that only 11 percent of Italians consider Israel a strategic "ally." Disapproval of the joint US-Israeli military strikes against Iran is high, with a majority of Italians fearing that regional escalation is driving the domestic cost-of-living crisis.
The General Strike (September–October 2025): Italy witnessed an unprecedented wave of mobilization led by trade unions like the CGIL and SI Cobas. Millions of workers participated in a general strike demanding an end to "Italian complicity" in the Gaza genocide.
Defence Pact Suspension: Under intense domestic pressure, the Meloni government announced in April 2026 that it would suspend the automatic renewal of its 2003 defence memorandum with Israel.
BDS and "Apartheid Free Zones": The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has seen mainstream adoption. Over 300 businesses and cultural centers across Italy have declared themselves "Israeli Apartheid Free Zones," and Italy ranked second in Europe (after France) for signatures on the petition to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.«

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-reject-suspend-israel-association-agreement/

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/567417.aspx

Well it's a long overdue start.

"As Israel and the US are 'doing Europe's dirty work' by fighting for civilization against Jihadist lunatics in Iran and elsewhere, the European Union exposed its moral bankruptcy by drawing a false symmetry between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists," the Israeli prime minister office posted on X.
Response from Israel

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim also criticized the move by EU ministers against his group, saying that the EU insists on what he described as political hypocrisy and racism.
Response from Hamas

Looks like they're angering both. Oh well

https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-ministers-agree-sanctions-targeting-violent-west-bank-settlers-2026-05-11/

Opinion piece from Haaretz at the end of April acknowledging that sanctions are coming and that public revulsion in Europe and US at the actions of Israeli government is growing alongside the dissent in Israel. Progress is moving at a glacial pace but there is a sense of inevitability.

www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-04-28/ty-article-opinion/.premium/sanctions-are-inevitable-despite-israelis-obliviousness/0000019d-d01b-d623-ad9f-fedbc0500000

It would be great to see more countries follow Belgium on this. Consequences for choosing to live on stolen land.

“After reviewing our population registry records, we found that you reside in a settlement that is not recognized under international law, to which Belgium is committed. Therefore, it was not possible to register you at this address in the population registry of the Belgian consulate in Jerusalem. Accordingly, we hereby inform you that you are no longer registered with this mission.”

www.timesofisrael.com/belgium-refuses-to-renew-passport-of-israeli-citizen-living-in-jerusalem-area-beyond-green-line/

Absolutely! Well done Belgium.