Canada imposes first-ever sanctions on Israeli settlers

Canada on Thursday imposed its first-ever sanctions on what the foreign ministry called “extremist” Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and said Ottawa was weighing additional measures to deter settler violence against Palestinians.

Canada’s sanctions, which follow similar measures by allies including the United States and Britain, target four individuals accused of engaging directly or indirectly in violence against Palestinians and their property.

The sanctions prohibit dealings related to the individuals and render them inadmissible to Canada, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Settler violence in the West Bank is a source of growing concern among Israel’s Western allies. The European Union and New Zealand have also imposed sanctions on violent settlers and urged Israel to do more to stop the violence.

“The rise in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank is deeply troubling and poses significant risks to peace and security in the region,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in the statement.

“With these measures, we are sending a clear message that acts of extremist settler violence are unacceptable and that perpetrators of such violence will face consequences,” she said.