Four Western countries are finally punishing Israeli officials over settler violence — bad for Israel's government, a small win for Palestinians.

• France, Canada, Norway, and the UK barred Smotrich, four settler-group leaders, and 21 settlers from entering their countries.
• The move targets settler attacks and the seizure of more West Bank land for illegal settlements.
• Israel called the sanctions anti-Semitic, a response that ignores well-documented violence.
• In villages like Burin near Nablus, settlers come down from the Yitzhar settlement to terrorize and kill Palestinians, often using US-supplied rifles.
• Settlers almost never get convicted while Palestinians face near-certain conviction, and locals say even filming the attacks gets them labeled terrorists.

Outlook: The sanctions raise pressure on Israel, but with US backing unchanged, settler violence in the West Bank is likely to continue.