Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that his government is considering imposing sanctions on “extremist” settlers in the West Bank, following the American action against four Israeli men accused of involvement in violence in the occupied territories.
Speaking to reporters in Waterloo, Ontario, Trudeau stated, “We are looking into how to ensure those responsible for extremist violence or the violence of extremist settlers in the West Bank are held accountable.” Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians want the West Bank as part of their independent state, but Israel has established settlements there that most countries consider illegal. Israel rejects this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.
The West Bank has already experienced its most severe disturbances in decades in the 18 months leading up to Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, and confrontations there have escalated significantly since the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza. Trudeau added, “Violence in the West Bank is absolutely unacceptable and jeopardizes peace and stability in the region and the path towards a two-state solution.”
This comes in the wake of similar actions taken by the United States against four Israeli men accused of engaging in violence within the occupied territories. Trudeau emphasized the importance of holding those responsible for extremist violence in the West Bank accountable, highlighting the unacceptable nature of the violence and its detrimental impact on peace, stability, and the pursuit of a two-state solution in the region.
Trudeau’s remarks reflect a broader sentiment of concern among Western nations regarding the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly in the context of escalating violence in the West Bank. The unrest in the area has been at its highest in decades, further intensified by the Israeli military’s response to an attack by Hamas. The international community, including Britain, the European Union, and countries like Australia and Canada, has urged Israel to address settler violence more effectively.
The consideration of sanctions by Canada against extremist settlers is part of a larger discourse on the geopolitical tensions in the region and the impact of settler violence on the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
