On 15 October 2024, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ("FCDO") sanctioned three settler outposts and four Israeli organisations that it says "have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank", under the UK's global human rights sanctions regime.
These sanctions represent the third set of measures against persons said to have been involved in settler violence in the West Bank, and form part of the UK's efforts to support a "more stable West Bank".
What is the UK's global human rights sanctions regime?
The UK's global human rights sanctions regime is governed by the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 ("the Regulations"), which came into force on 6 July 2020. According to the UK Government, the Regulations are intended to enable the government to "champion human rights, good governance and the rule of law", and deter State actors and non-State actors from committing "serious human rights violations".
The Regulations enable the UK Government to use sanctions measures to deter, and provide accountability for, activities which, if carried out by or on behalf of a State, would amount to a serious violation of certain human rights by that State.
Specifically, they concern serious violations of the following three human rights:
- right to life
- right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- right to be free from slavery, not to be held in servitude or required to perform forced or compulsory labour
Persons the Foreign Secretary suspects of undertaking or being involved in these activities can be designated for the purpose of a travel ban and/or an asset freeze. It does not matter whether the actions in question are committed by a state or a non-state actor.
Who has the FCDO sanctioned and why?
The FCDO sanctioned three settler outposts and four Israeli organisations that, it says, have supported and sponsored settler violence against communities in the West Bank. The FCDO says that settler violence often seeks to "force Palestinians to leave their homes, and seize their land for the construction of outposts, which are illegal under both international and Israeli law".
The three settler outposts (Tirzah Valley Farm Outpost, Meitarim Outpost, and Shuvi Eretz Outpost), were sanctioned for allegedly having been involved in "facilitating, inciting, promoting or providing support for activity that amounts to a serious abuse of the right of Palestinians not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment".
The four organisations (Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, Hashomer Yosh, Torat Lechima, Amana), were sanctioned for allegedly promoting violence, providing volunteers for illegal outposts, and providing financial support to illegal settler outposts linked with acts of violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
The Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that these measures intend to "bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. The Israeli government must crack down on settler violence and stop settler expansion on Palestinian land. As long as violent extremists remain unaccountable, the UK and the international community will continue to act".
Takeaway
The Foreign Secretary's statement suggests that more sanctions measures may be around the corner in connection with the protection of human rights globally.
The context of these measures is an ever-increasing need for UK businesses to be aware of their commercial relationships, and supply chains, involving entities and individuals in politically or economically sensitive regions. They are a reminder that diligent UK businesses will need to be aware of UK sanctions regimes beyond country-specific regimes (e.g. the sanctions regime against Russia) that target global issues such as anti-corruption and the protection of human rights.
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