PRESS RELEASE : UK sanctions extremist groups and individuals for settler violence in the West Bank [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 May 2024.

The UK has imposed new sanctions on extremist groups and individuals for inciting and perpetrating settler violence in the West Bank.

• further sanctions package targets those inciting and perpetrating settler violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
• new measures follow unprecedented rise in settler violence over the last year and come after a previous UK sanctions package in February

The Foreign Secretary has today announced further sanctions on extremist Israeli groups and individuals for violence in the West Bank.

Today’s package includes 2 groups known to have supported, incited and promoted violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as 4 individuals responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses against these communities.

The measures follow an unprecedented rise in settler violence in the West Bank over the last year, with the UN recording at least 800 incidents since October.

Hilltop Youth, one of the groups sanctioned today, is a hardline nationalist Israeli youth group which establishes illegal settler outposts across the West Bank with the stated mission of expelling all Palestinians from the Occupied Territories. Lehava is also sanctioned today for facilitating, inciting, and promoting violence against Arab and Palestinian communities.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said:

Extremist settlers are undermining security and stability and threatening prospects for peace.

This latest package of sanctions targets 2 groups leading these attacks, and 4 individuals who are directly responsible for egregious violence against Palestinian civilians.

The Israeli authorities must clamp down on those responsible. The UK will not hesitate to take further action if needed, including through further sanctions.

The 4 individuals sanctioned today for egregious human rights abuses against Palestinian communities are:

• Noam Federman: a radical settler activist and former leader and spokesperson of the now-defunct Kach party, that espoused overtly racist and violent policies. He has trained settler groups to commit acts of violence against Palestinians and how to avoid repercussions from the Israeli state
• Neria Ben Pazi: is responsible for illegally constructing 3 illegal outposts between 2015 and 2023 and has supported and participated in acts of violence and displacement of Bedouin and Palestinian communities in the West Bank
• Eden Levi: has been documented on multiple occasions as taking part in assaults and intimidation of Palestinians, as part of a wider intimidation campaign aiming to drive their population out of the area. As recently as 12 October 2023, he was involved in an incident during which Palestinian villagers were beaten and sexually assaulted
• Elisha Yered: is an unofficial spokesperson for Hilltop Youth. He has a history of making inflammatory statements inciting religious hatred and violence, including justifying the killing of Palestinians on religious grounds, and calling for the takeover of Palestinian land and the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank

Today’s measures impose financial restrictions on the entities and individuals, and travel restrictions on the individuals.

Further information

• today’s sanction package is the second UK package targeting persons involved in settler violence in the West Bank. The first tranche was announced by the FCDO on 12 February 2024

Definitions

• an asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world
• a travel ban means that the designated person is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971, and must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom (and any leave given to a person who is an excluded person is invalid)