Germany wants EU discussions on Israeli settler sanctions

Germany wants the European Union to consider sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers behind a wave of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, a foreign ministry spokesman says.

In a rare move, the US said Tuesday it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, as well as on Palestinians involved in attacks on Israelis.

The German foreign ministry spokesman, Sebastian Fischer, says Berlin welcomed the fact that the US “will now take concrete measures in the form of entry restrictions.”

It was “important to drive this debate forward at European level too”, the spokesman said.

Berlin is “actively contributing” to discussions on the topic ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, he added.

In early November, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called on the EU to consider barring “extremist” Israelis who call for violence against Palestinians from visiting Europe.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.