France Justifies Sanctions on Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Amid West Bank Violence
France's Response to West Bank Violence and Sanctions on Israeli Officials
French Condemnation of West Bank Violence
PARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned on Wednesday violence in the West Bank by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and added that this justified France's recent sanctions against Israel's far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- "What is happening today in the West Bank is utterly disgraceful and should fill us all with revulsion," Barrot wrote on X.
- "This is why we have sanctioned Israeli minister Ben-Gvir, whose recent comments are unacceptable and inhuman," added Barrot.
Sanctions Imposed by France
Ban on Ben-Gvir
In May, France announced it was banning Ben-Gvir from French territory.
Potential for Further Sanctions
Barrot reiterated that new sanctions could be implemented against Israeli settlers deemed to be involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
International Coordination and Responses
Coordinated Sanctions by Western Nations
In June, Britain, Canada, France and Norway announced coordinated sanctions against Israeli networks involved in financing, enabling and carrying out violence in the West Bank.
Israel's Reaction to Sanctions
Israel's foreign ministry rejected the June measures and said the governments imposing them had failed to control antisemitism and were fuelling it with such sanctions.
Background on West Bank Settlements
Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled among millions of Palestinians in land captured by Israel in a 1967 war.
International Legal Perspective
Nearly all countries and a range of U.N. bodies consider that such settlements violate international law, although Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
