New sanctions against extremist settlers and violent activists from Israel

The Council has approved additional restrictive measures against five persons and three entities under the European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. The listed individuals and entities are responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, including abuse of the right of everyone to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental integrity, the right to property, the right to private and family life, to freedom of religion or belief and the right to education.

This listings include Israeli settler Moshe Sharvit and his ‘Moshe’s Farm’ in the Jordan Valley. From his farm, Moshe Sharvit engaged in settler violence and threats towards Palestinian residents in shepherding communities close to his outpost in the West Bank. His physical and verbal harassment against these communities has escalated since October 2023.

The Council also listed Zvi Bar Yosef and his unauthorised outpost known as ‘Zvi’s Farm’ in the West Bank. Zvi Bar Yosef has repeatedly attacked and committed acts of violence against Palestinians from the villages of Jibya, Kaubar (Kobar), and Umm Safa, causing severe injuries to some of them.

This designations also include Tzav 9, an Israeli group of violent activists founded in January 2024, regularly blocking humanitarian aid trucks delivering food, water and fuel to Gaza. Tzav 9’s actions include violent protests, attacks against food trucks and the destruction of food.

Lastly, Baruch Marzel, openly calling for an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, Ben-Zion “Bentzi” Gopstein, founder and leader of the extremist organisation Lehava, and Isaschar Manne, founder of the unauthorised Manne Farm outpost in the South Hebron Hills, were also sanctioned.

With this listings, restrictive measures under the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime now apply to 113 natural and legal persons and 31 entities from a range of countries.

Those listed under the sanctions regime are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly, to them or for their benefit, is prohibited. Additionally, a travel ban to the EU applies to the natural persons listed.

The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Background

On 7 December 2020, the Council established a Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, which applies to acts such as genocide, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations or abuses (e.g. torture, slavery, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests or detentions). The EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime underscores the EU’s determination to enhance its role in addressing serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide. Achieving the effective enjoyment of human rights by everyone is a strategic goal of the Union. Respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights is a fundamental value of the Union and of its common foreign and security policy.

In its conclusions of 27 June 2024, the European Council strongly condemned the ongoing extremist settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and invited the Council to take work forward on further restrictive measures against extremist settlers. The European Council also called for safe access to the holy sites and for the Status Quo to be upheld. Lastly, the European Council condemned the Israeli government’s decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank and urged Israel to reverse these decisions.

More information: European Council