Japan Freezes Assets of Four Israeli Settlers; First Sanctions Imposed by Japan to Israeli settlers

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:45 JST, July 23, 2024

The government has approved sanctions against four Israeli settlers who committed acts of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank; in accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, assets they hold are to be frozen. The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.

This is the first time that Japan has imposed sanctions against Israeli settlers.

“Such acts as violence, threats and destruction of property by some extremists against Palestinian communities and others have become a serious problem, as they frequently kill or injure Palestinian residents or force them to leave their homes,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference Tuesday.

Following Hamas’ raid on Israel in October of last year, there has been an ongoing campaign of attacks on Palestinian towns and villages by extremist settlers demanding the forcible expulsion of Palestinian people.