Australia is slapping sanctions on seven Israeli citizens and a loosely organized youth group accused of “violent attacks on Palestinians” in Judea and Samaria, Canberra announced on Thursday.

Australia’s Labor government has “imposed Magnitsky-style targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on seven Israeli individuals, and targeted financial sanctions on one entity, for involvement in settler violence against Palestinians,” said Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

According to Canberra’s top diplomat, the sanctioned Israeli nationals stand accused of “beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death.”


The individuals include ranchers Yinon Levi of Meitarim Farm in Judea’s Hebron Hills and Zvi Bar Yosef of Zvi’s Farm in western Samaria, as well as Neriya Ben Pazi, who built multiple farms in the Binyamin region.

Australia also blacklisted Elisha Yered, a former spokesman for Israel’s Otzma Yehudit Party from Ramat Migron; Meir Ettinger, a leading figure in the Hilltop Youth movement from Givat Ronen; David Chai Chasdai from Givat Ronen; and Einan Tanjil from Kiryat Ekron in central Israel.