THE European Council have adopted sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers — including Daniella Weiss, who was featured in a Louis Theroux documentary.
On Thursday, the council decided to take action against four entities and three individuals under the European Union's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
It had previously been blocked by Hungary's former PM, Viktor Orban, but following the election of Péter Magyar, the veto was lifted.
The measures against those identified include: an asset freeze, a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to them, and a full travel ban.
The council say those listed are entities which are "responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank".
Adding: "They abuse 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."
One of the identified is the Nachala Settlement Movement and its director Daniella Weiss, who appeared on Theroux's The Settlers documentary last year.
Writing in The Guardian after his encounter with Weiss, Theroux said her views seemed “sociopathic” as she spoke of her motivation for an entirely Israeli-ruled region, whereby Palestinians must accept it or leave.
On Weiss and the organisation, the European Council wrote: "Through its activities, the movement encourages and facilitates coercive acts that lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians. Nachala’s outposts obstruct access to Palestinian agricultural and grazing land and have been persistent sources of settler violence.
"Several of these were built on privately owned Palestinian land. In her capacity as director of the movement, Daniella Weiss plans, directs and publicly supports the acts of Nachala."
Others to be sanctioned further include Israeli NGO, Regavin and Meir Deutsch, Amana, associated with Gush Emunim and Hashomer Yosh and its president Avichai Suissa.
The council established its Global Human Rights Regime in December 2020, and it applies to acts of "genocide, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations".
Restrictive measures under the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime now apply to 136 natural and legal persons and 41 entities from a range of countries.
While the sanctioning of settlers has been a welcome decision for many, a growing number of EU members are calling for Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to also be targeted.
It comes after he was criticised for his treatment of activists detained while attempting to break the country’s naval blockade of Gaza. He posted a video on X appearing to taunt flotilla activists while they were being forced to kneel with their hands tied behind their backs.
While European governments were calling for action against Ben-Gvir, in Strasbourg MEPs signed a letter calling for EU sanctions against the Israeli minister for flotilla detentions, accusing him of "despicable behaviour".
