Tel Aviv — Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, sharply rebuked the European Union after the bloc moved to sanction Israeli citizens and organisations, calling the measures arbitrary, politically motivated and without factual or legal basis. Sa’ar said the EU’s action was unacceptable and criticised what he described as an improper comparison between Israeli civilians and Hamas militants.
Sa’ar defended Israeli settlement activity in contested areas as a fundamental historical and moral right of the Jewish people, saying the presence of Israelis in those territories reflects a long-documented claim to the land and cannot be nullified by external sanctions. He warned that attempts to shape political perceptions through punitive measures would fail.
The move followed an announcement by France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who said the EU had targeted the principal Israeli organisations it considers responsible for advancing the colonisation of the West Bank, along with their leaders. Barrot described those activities as extremist and violent and said they must stop immediately.
Barrot also noted that the new package includes sanctions on senior Hamas figures, whom he blamed for a recent antisemitic massacre in which he said 51 French citizens were killed. He called for Hamas to be disarmed and excluded from any role in the future of Palestine and reiterated support for a two-state outcome in which two recognised states live side by side in peace and security.
European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said EU foreign ministers approved sanctions on settlers involved in violence against Palestinians and on leading Hamas members, adding that extremism and violence have consequences and that the move marked a shift from deadlock to action.
According to reports, these are the first sanctions agreed by the 27-member EU since July 2024. The coverage of the announcements and reactions was sourced from a syndicated feed (ANI). The Tribune republishes the feed as received and does not assume responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.
