Although the European Union finally seemed to be taking action, half-measures and slow diplomacy once again dominate instead of true justice. Meanwhile, in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), a wave of violence by illegal settlers continues, and thousands of Palestinian families are being deprived of their homes and lands, EU member states are unable to act in unison. France is therefore initiating sanctions on its own authority against those inciting violence against the Palestinian people.<\/b><\/p>\n
According to Reuters, Emmanuel Macron\u2019s government has had enough of the deadlock in Brussels and is working on its own national sanctions package in cooperation with several European countries, including the United Kingdom and Norway. The goal: to finally hold accountable the militant settlers who are terrorizing Palestinian communities.<\/p>\n
International diplomats are unanimous in their view that the violence committed by settlers is not a series of random incidents, but part of a well-thought-out strategy. \u201eThe aim of this widespread violence is to undermine the establishment of a Palestinian state,\u201d acknowledged one diplomat. Through its aggressive expansion, the settler movement is systematically making it impossible to establish a viable, independent Palestine, while the international community has for decades merely condemned the expansion of illegal settlements in words.<\/p>\n
Although the EU reached a tentative agreement on a package of sanctions in May, the debate over the definition of \u201eviolent settlers\u201d and the implementation of the measures shows that the Union still does not dare to draw a clear line. While some 500,000 Israelis live in illegal settlements\u2014many of whom are appropriating Palestinian land\u2014the Brussels bureaucracy is still debating how not to harm Israel\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n
However, the Paris Initiative makes it clear that countries committed to upholding international law and human rights can no longer wait for the slow-moving EU consensus. Those settlers who, with weapons in hand, state support, or tacit consent, drive Palestinian farmers from their lands can no longer go unpunished.<\/p>\n
Supporters of the settlers often cite \u201esecurity\u201d to equate the settlers\u2019 aggression with the Palestinians\u2019 legitimate resistance. However, the reality is that the Israeli presence in the West Bank\u2014as the EU has repeatedly stated\u2014is illegal. The violence committed by the settlers is not self-defense, but a tool of an occupying power aimed at permanently suppressing the Palestinian people\u2019s right to self-determination.<\/p>\n
The French initiative could be the first step toward a just path, where aggressors are finally held accountable for their actions: through the freezing of their assets and a ban on travel within Europe. The only question now is whether European governments are brave enough to target not only \u201eextremist\u201d groups, but also the entire system behind settler violence.<\/p>\n
The international press (e.g.,. Reuters<\/i>, The Straits Times<\/i>) confirms that France is calling for new, stricter sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. Since reaching a consensus among the 27 member states of the European Union is a slow process, French Foreign Minister Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot indicated on June 7 that France, in cooperation with several partner countries, is prepared to take national or more limited coordinated measures against the individuals and organizations in question.<\/p>\n