The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) welcomes the Australian Government’s imposition of Magnitsky sanctions and travel bans on seven extremist Israeli settlers and one entity for their involvement in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
This action is the first such sanction Australia has applied to Israel since it began its genocidal attacks on Gaza in October, and follows Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s condemnation of Israel’s killing of Palestinians near schools last week.
These sanctions are a critical but overdue and insufficient first move towards ensuring Australia meets its international obligations to compel Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories.
They come in the wake of last week’s International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion that found such occupation illegal, and that Israel is in violation of international prohibitions on “racial segregation and apartheid.”
The court ordered that Israel halt the expansion of its illegal settlements and reverse the annexation of Palestinian territory, dismantle its system of apartheid against Palestinians and offer full reparations to Palestinians who have lost land and property.
The ruling has implications for all states, which now have a positive obligation not to “render aid or assistance to illegal settlement activities” and not to recognise or assist in any way with any measures Israel undertakes to exploit the resources, or change the demographic composition of the occupied territories.
APAN urges the Australian Government to immediately:
- expand its sanctions to include other Israeli individuals and entities involved in Israel’s illegal occupation, its genocide in Gaza and its apartheid across Palestine;
- Cancel the DGR status of any Australian charities that contribute to, support or benefit from Israel’s illegal settlements;
- impose an arms embargo and put an end to the transfer of all arms, parts and dual-use items;
- urgently review with a view to suspending any Australian trade, military and other relationships or agreements with Israel;
- Investigate and prosecute dual citizens who have travelled to serve with Israel’s Occupying Forces.
Quotes attributed to APAN President Nasser Mashni:
We appreciate this announcement and urge the government to ensure it’s followed by a robust Australian response to Israel’s brazen and unchecked violations of international law.
The Israeli Government shows no signs of halting its illegal occupation, genocide, or apartheid in Palestine without significant and immediate international pressure.
The recent ICJ ruling found that Israel is an apartheid regime, hellbent on wiping Palestinians from their homeland, and Australia has an obligation to take strong actions not only against individuals, but against the Israeli Government itself, to ensure Palestinian collective rights and lives are protected and self-determination realised.