Sanctions on West Bank settlements aren’t enough

Key Points:

• The UK, France, and Canada recently imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank to express moral disapproval without provoking major consequences, a strategy easier for smaller powers than for the US.
• The US, as a global superpower, faces higher expectations for effective policy outcomes, making symbolic measures like targeted sanctions on settlements likely insufficient to address the core issues.
• The most ideologically driven settlers responsible for land theft and violence are unlikely to be deterred by minor economic penalties, and mainstream Israelis, while not directly involved, generally do not oppose these actions or the broader settlement expansion.
• The current Israeli political landscape, including Netanyahu’s coalition and opposition parties, lacks genuine commitment to Palestinian rights or peace processes, complicating efforts to change the status quo.
• To effect real change, US policy may need to impose costs on more moderate Israelis in major cities, encouraging broader societal pressure for meaningful shifts rather than relying solely on sanctions targeting settlements.