Until now, Brussels has approved limited sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. But he resisted calls for more restrictive measures or the suspension of commercial ties with Israel after the launch of his war against Gaza in 2023 after Hamas activists attacked Israel and took hostages in the coastal enclave.
Adra, whose documentary tells the story of Israeli demolitions of his native rural community of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, argues that the EU should “recognize at least the state of Palestine”, but also sanction “all the colonists (which) violate international law”.
The filmmaker, whose co -director was attacked by settlers after the outing of the documentary, deplores that “nothing has changed” in practical terms for the local community since its release and that the settlers’ attacks have intensified since Israel began its large -scale assault on Gaza.
The commission spokesman reiterated the “strong opposition of the institution to the Israeli settlement policy”, arguing that “additional (sanctions) are currently under discussion” with the EU countries.
Despite this, Adra said that he still retains hope, motivated by the prospect of protecting his local community. “We live in the worst period for Palestine,” he said, but “we have no other land.”
“It is my responsibility to stay on the country,” he said.
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