Singapore sanctions Israeli settlers over West Bank violence

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
Today 18:18
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Singapore has imposed sanctions on four settlers it describes as extremists over unlawful violence in the West Bank, citing threats to peace and violations of international law.

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Elisha Yered, 22, right, is led handcuffed by officers during an appearance as one of two Israeli settlers arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a Palestinian man in the West Bank, at the Jerusalem District Court on Aug. 8, 2023 (AP)

Singapore has imposed financial sanctions and entry bans on four Israeli settlers, citing “egregious acts of extreme violence” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The move, announced by the city-state’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday, marks a rare and direct condemnation of Israeli extremism by a Southeast Asian government.

Effective immediately, the sanctions target Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion (Benzi) Gopstein, and Baruch Marzel. The Ministry stated their actions were unlawful and “jeopardized the prospects for a two-state solution in Palestine.”

“As a firm supporter of international law and the two-state solution, Singapore opposes any unilateral attempts to change facts on the ground through acts which are illegal under international law,” it added.

Background on sanctioned figures and Jewish extremism

All four individuals have previously faced international sanctions. The European Union has already blacklisted all four, while Ettinger, Gopstein, and Yered were additionally sanctioned by Canada. The United States has also issued sanctions against several of them.

The sanctioned figures are known for their links to far-right ideology and settler violence. Ettinger, a grandson of extremist rabbi Meir Kahane, is a prominent figure in the so-called Hilltop Youth movement, which is notorious for establishing illegal outposts across the West Bank and clashing with Palestinians, the IOF, and left-wing Israeli activists.

Yered, considered an unofficial spokesperson of the Hilltop Youth, has also served as spokesperson for far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech of Otzma Yehudit. He was suspected of involvement in the 2023 killing of a Palestinian.

Gopstein leads Lehava, an anti-miscegenation group designated for sanctions by the US in 2024. Marzel, an American-born settler residing in al-Khalil, is a long-time far-right activist and former close associate of Kahane.

International response to settler violence

The sanctions follow a surge in settler violence across the West Bank, where extremist settlers have carried out attacks against Palestinians with relative impunity. Despite condemnation from international bodies, perpetrators of such acts often evade prosecution.

Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a special security meeting on Thursday to address the uptick in violence. Yet legal accountability remains limited, if any, particularly in less publicized cases.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry called on the Israeli government “to restrain acts of settler violence and to hold the perpetrators accountable.”

Diplomatic implications for Singapore and 'Israel'

In September, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan announced in parliament that leaders of settler groups would face sanctions. He also criticized Israeli politicians who have spoken about "annexing" parts of the West Bank and Gaza, warning that the E1 settlement project near occupied Al-Quds would further fragment Palestinian territory.

Beyond sanctions, Balakrishnan indicated that Singapore could recognize a Palestinian state under appropriate conditions.

While Singapore and "Israel" have maintained close diplomatic and military ties since Singapore's independence in 1965, the city-state has recently taken a more assertive position in international forums. In 2024, it voted in favor of several United Nations resolutions supporting recognition of a Palestinian state.

Despite the latest tensions, bilateral discussions have continued. Earlier this month, both Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met with envoy Balakrishnan in efforts to preserve ties with Singapore, according to official statements.

Global shift in accountability for 'extremist settlers'

The move by Singapore adds to growing global pressure on "Israel" over rising settler violence and its impact on regional stability. The West Bank remains at the center of the decades-long occupation, and settler violence has become an increasingly visible manifestation of rising extremism under successive Israeli governments.

Most of the international community regards Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, a position that "Israel" rejects, citing historical and religious claims in an attempt to justify the continuous occupation of the land.

The politics of labeling 'extremist settlers'

The use of the term “extremist” functions as a rhetorical tool meant to suggest a meaningful distinction between ordinary Israeli settlers and so-called “extremist settlers”. This framing implies that violence, land grabs, killings, and intimidation are the actions of only a fringe minority, rather than practices embedded in the broader settler enterprise.

By isolating a subset as “extremists,” officials and commentators can condemn specific incidents while avoiding scrutiny of the wider system of settlement expansion, state protection, and structural dispossession that enables them.

In other words, the label serves to individualize what many analysts describe as systemic behavior, transforming political and territorial realities into a matter of a few “bad actors", rather than questioning the underlying project itself.