France announces sanctions against 28 ‘extremist Israeli settlers’

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

France announces sanctions against 28 Israelis who are accused of committing violent acts against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The “extremist Israeli settlers” are banned from French territory.

“These measures come as violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population has increased in recent months,” says a statement by the Quai d’Orsay, adding that it is Israel’s responsibility to stop such violence and prosecute the perpetrators.

France also its announces it is working with other European countries to adopt similar sanctions at the EU level.

In December, France’s then-foreign minister Catherine Colonna announced sanctions against some violent Israelis in the West Bank. In Israel earlier this month, current Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said that “settler violence” in the West Bank must stop.

France’s announcement comes a day after the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on four Israeli nationals. The US slapped unprecedented financial and travel restrictions on Israelis it accused of violence in settlements earlier this month.

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