UK joins European Union in sanctioning supremacist Lehava group and extremist settlers
UK’s Cameron says individuals ‘are undermining security and stability and threatening prospects for peace,’ as four far-right activists sanctioned
The UK announced on Friday new sanctions on extremist groups and individuals accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron announced the sanctions package, which follows a previous round of sanctions in February on four Israelis believed to have carried out violent attacks on Palestinians.
“Extremist settlers are undermining security and stability and threatening prospects for peace,” Cameron said in a statement.
“This latest package of sanctions targets two groups leading these attacks, and four individuals who are directly responsible for egregious violence against Palestinian civilians,” he added.
The statement named the groups as Hilltop Youth, “a hardline nationalist Israeli youth group which establishes illegal settler outposts across the West Bank” and Lehava, which it said was is being sanctioned for “facilitating, inciting and promoting violence against Arab and Palestinian communities.”
Lehava has also been sanctioned by the EU, and its leader, Benzi Gopstein, a former Knesset candidate with Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, was sanctioned by the US last month.
Gopstein’s far-right group Lehava opposes intermarriage and the assimilation of Jews with Arabs and tries to stifle public activities by non-Jews in Israel. Lehava, which some lawmakers have tried to designate a terrorist group, has called for action to be taken against non-Jews in order to “save the daughters of Israel.”
The Hilltop Youth are not an organized group, but rather an assortment of usually young Israelis who build illegal outposts throughout the West Bank.
The statement lists the individuals targeted as prominent far-right activist Noam Federman, whose son Ely has already been sanctioned by the UK; and Neria Ben Pazi and Elisha Yered who have already been sanctioned by the US; and Eden Levi.
The statement described Federman as “a radical settler activist and former leader and spokesperson of the now-defunct Kach party, that espoused overtly racist and violent policies.” It said Federman trained settlers to commit acts of violence against Palestinians while avoiding repercussions.
According to the statement, Levi has been involved in intimidating and assaulting Palestinians, including sexual assault.
Ben Pazi constructed three illegal outposts in the West Bank between 2015 and 2023 and has participated in acts of violence and displacement against Palestinians and Bedouins, the statement added.
Yered is considered the unofficial spokesperson of the Hilltop Youth. He previously served as the spokesperson for far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit. He is also suspected of killing a Palestinian last year.
The new measures “impose financial restrictions on the entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on the individuals,” the statement said.
The sanctions imposed on Gopstein by the US last month caused all entities owned by him to be blocked. Furthermore, he was banned from receiving a US visa, and all Americans or those residing in the US conducting financial transactions with him or donating to him have themselves become exposed to sanctions.
