Britain, the European Union and more than a dozen partner countries including Australia and Canada, called on Israel to take immediate and concrete steps to tackle settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian men check on a burned building, after an attack by Israeli settlers, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 21, 2023. Reuters/Mohamad Torokman/File Photo
Britain, the European Union and more than a dozen partner countries including Australia and Canada, called on Israel to take immediate and concrete steps to tackle settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
"This rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians is unacceptable," the countries said in a joint statement published by the British government on Friday.
"Proactive steps must now be taken to ensure the effective and immediate protection of Palestinian communities."
On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said those responsible for settler violence against Palestinians would be banned from entering Britain, following a similar plan by the European Union.
"Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute extremist settlers has led to an environment of near complete impunity in which settler violence has reached unprecedented levels," said the joint statement -- from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Britain.
"This undermines security in the West Bank and the region and threatens prospects for a lasting peace."
The statement said that since the start of October, settlers have committed more than 343 violent attacks, killing 8 Palestinian civilians, injuring more than 83, and forcing 1,026 Palestinians from their homes.
Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Kylie MacLellan
For decades, the “two-state solution” has been presented as the only path to peace. History suggests otherwise: two states already stand on the land of the British Mandate, Israel and Jordan. The question is what a third one would be for.
Shaken by the accuracy of Iran's attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island nation have launched a crackdown on Shi'ite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home.
The Yisrael Beytenu leader says he is ready to compromise, even on military service for yeshiva students, but still rules out any deal with Arab parties.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.