JSpaceCanada welcomes today’s announcement by the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, of a fifth round of sanctions targeting two individuals and five entities for their role in directly or indirectly facilitating, supporting, financing, or contributing to extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians and their property.
JSpaceCanada Executive Director Maytal Kowalski said: “First and foremost, our hope is that the Israeli government itself will take meaningful action to curb settler violence and halt settlement expansion. However, in the absence of sufficient action, we recognize the responsibility of Israel’s allies to act decisively in support of peace, security, and human rights.
“As friends and supporters of Israel, we believe that the violent extremism of the settlement movement undermines Israel’s democratic values, violates the rights of Palestinians, threatens prospects for a negotiated two-state solution, and contributes to broader instability and insecurity in the region.”
Kowalski added: “Our advocacy on this issue has been ongoing for more than three years, including meetings with government officials in Ottawa as recently as last week. I am proud to represent the views of the majority of Canadian Jews, who support targeted Canadian sanctions against those who facilitate, incite, or perpetrate violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
We also note that UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has issued formal guidance warning businesses against economic and financial activity linked to illegal settlements, demonstrating that Canada and its allies are prepared to take additional measures when necessary.
JSpaceCanada continues to advocate for a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and urges the Government of Canada to expand sanctions and other accountability measures for as long as the Israeli government fails to take effective action on its own to address settler violence and settlement expansion.