Paris mulling new sanctions on Israeli settlers, French FM says in West Bank

RAMALLAH – Paris is mulling new sanctions on those enabling the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says on a visit to the Palestinian territory earlier today.

“France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level targeting individuals or entities, either actors or accomplices of settlement activities,” Barrot says after talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

“This regime has been activated two times already and we’re working on a third batch of sanctions targeting these activities that again are illegal with respect to international law.”

Barrot renews France’s commitment to a two-state solution and says that settlement activities “threaten the political perspective that can ensure durable peace for Israel and Palestine.”

Before meeting Abbas, Barrot visited the adjacent town of Al-Bireh, where extremist settlers allegedly set fire to 20 cars earlier this week, damaging a nearby building.

“These attacks from extremist and violent settlers are not only completely inexcusable, not only contrary to international law, but they weaken the perspective of a two-state solution,” Barrot says.

Ramallah and Al-Bireh governor Laila Ghannam expresses outrage that settler attacks are “taking place in full view and hearing of the entire silent international community.”

“Perhaps today, with the visit of the French foreign minister, there will be a spotlight here,” she tells AFP.