Australia accused the Israelis of "beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death."
July 26, 2024 10:23
ByJC Reporter, Jewish News Syndicate
Australia is slapping sanctions on seven Israeli citizens and a loosely organized youth group accused of "violent attacks on Palestinians" in Judea and Samaria, Canberra announced on Thursday.
Australia's Labour government has "imposed Magnitsky-style targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Israeli individuals, and targeted financial sanctions on one entity, for involvement in settler violence against Palestinians," said Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
According to Canberra's top diplomat, the sanctioned Israeli nationals stand accused of "beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death."
The individuals include ranchers Yinon Levi of Meitarim Farm in the Hebron Hills and Zvi Bar Yosef of Zvi's Farm as well as Neriya Ben Pazi, who built multiple farms in the Binyamin region of the West Bank.
Australia also blacklisted Elisha Yered, a former spokesman for Israel's Otzma Yehudit Party from Ramat Migron; Meir Ettinger, a leading figure in the Hilltop Youth movement from Givat Ronen; David Chai Chasdai from Givat Ronen; and Einan Tanjil from Kiryat Ekron in central Israel.
Sanctions also apply to the Hilltop Youth, which Canberra described as an organization responsible for "inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities."
Some of the individuals named in the Australian decision on Thursday have previously been hit with similar sanctions by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Japan.
Wong said that her government "has been firm and consistent that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace."
She added, "Australia will continue to work for a just and enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians."
In an interview with the country's ABC Radio National, Wong said Australian officials had spoken to their Israeli counterparts ahead of the sanctions.
"These sanctions have been taken after careful consideration and are in line with actions taken by others in recent months," she said.
Earlier this week, Japan also announced its first sanctions against Jewish settlers, including Levi, Bar Yosef and Ben Pazi.
Three months ago, Wong said that eventual recognition of a Palestinian state would not constitute a reward for Israel's enemies and would instead help break "the endless cycle of violence" in the region.
"We are now 30 years on from the Oslo Accords that put Palestinian statehood at the end of a process. The failures of this approach by all parties over decades—as well as the Netanyahu government's refusal to even engage on the question of a Palestinian state—have caused widespread frustration," the Labor Party minister claimed.
Albanese's government understands that "any future Palestinian state cannot be in a position to threaten Israel's security and will need a reformed Palestinian Authority," Wong claimed.
Earlier this month, the Albanese government appointed Australia's first special envoy to combat antisemitism amid a rise in anti-Jewish attacks. Australia has seen a dramatic increase in acts targeting the Jewish and pro-Israel community in the months since Hamas's October 7 massacre.