Israeli hard-liners Ben-Gvir and Smotrich targeted in UK-led sanctions

The National

a day ago

Several countries led by Britain have sanctioned two senior Israeli cabinet ministers, leading to a major diplomatic fallout.
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will both face travel bans and financial restrictions from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.
In an official statement, the British government said the pair were 'now sanctioned for their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians, effective immediately'.
We expect the UK government to recognise the state of Palestine. This is good but does not get us to that point
Husam Zomlot
In a joint statement with foreign ministers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 'Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.
'We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.'
It is a significant escalation in political pressure against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The souring of relations with friendly western countries was further cemented after a senior Israeli cabinet minister condemned the sanctions as 'outrageous' and 'unacceptable'.
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, welcomed the government's response to the ministers repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities.
Speaking exclusively to The National he called the move a 'significant step in the right direction'.
'These two ministers have been publicly calling for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, not only by words but by deeds,' Mr Zomlot said. 'These two ministers have been literally physically arming illegal settlers [that are] going on the rampage, committing all the crimes that the world has been following.'
Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich were given travel bans to the UK, which acted alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
'Sanctioning these ministers is absolutely the right step in the right direction,' added Mr Zomlot, who called on London to make further changes to its policy in response to developments across the Palestinian territory.
'This is not a substitute for the arms embargo, not a substitute for sanctions on the entire ecosystem of illegality, including settlements, and not a substitute for the recognition of the state of Palestine.'
With a French and Saudi Arabian-sponsored conference on June 17-20 at UN headquarters on advancing the two state solution, Mr Zomlot said the opportunity was looming for the UK to announce that step. 'We are awaiting that conference next week, we expect the UK government to recognise the state of Palestine. This is good but does not get us to that point.'
But the renewed bloody Gaza offensive, which has seen the death toll of Palestinians increase to 55,700, has turned international opinion against Israel.
British MPs from all parties have in recent weeks become angry at Israel's actions and condemnatory of the UK government's failure to impose sanctions or recognise the Palestinian state.
Mr Lammy and Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer have had to fend off accusations of killings and inhumane treatment of Palestinians.
From January last year to April this year extremist settlers have carried out more than 1,900 attack against Palestinian civilians, the UK government said.
The diplomatic fallout began even before the sanctions were officially announced with Israel's government reacting furiously after Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar condemned the 'British sanctions list'.
'It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.'
Mr Netanyahu will now hold a special government meeting early next week 'to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision,' he added.
Mr Ben Gvir reacted defiantly, stating on X that: 'We survived Pharaoh, we will also survive Keir Starmer. I will continue to work for Israel and the people of Israel without fear or intimidation!'
In further retaliation to the sanctions Mr Smotrich allegedly threatened to stop transferring funds to the Palestinian Authority.
Even the pair's political foe, Benny Gantz, stated that while he 'deeply' disagreed with their views, the sanctions were a 'profound moral failure and a bad message to the entire world' that he claimed would 'fuel global terrorism'.
Tuesday's action could well have a unifying effect on the Israeli government which is comprised of fragile coalition that includes hard-right figures and ultraorthodox.
This has allowed Mr Smotrich to approve expansion of illegal occupied West Bank settlements while he has also vigorously campaigned against allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza,
He caused outrage after stating that he would allow 'not even a grain of wheat' to enter the territory and only last month stated that Gaza would be 'entirely destroyed'. He also referred to ethnic cleansing by suggesting that Palestinians should 'leave in great numbers to third countries'.
His colleague Mr Ben-Gvir, who was convicted of incitement to racism in 2007, has also stoked fires by advocating the replacement of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem with a synagogue.
He too has called for Palestinians to be expelled from Gaza and stated that 'there is no need to bring in aid, they have enough'.
Among senior MPs who have called for stronger action against the pair has been Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee.
'I and others have been calling for sanctions on these extremist Israeli ministers for the better part of a year,' she posted on X. 'The government is finally doing the right thing.'
In reference to the summit jointly hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, she argued that the sanctions 'must be a precursor to recognising a Palestinian state next week – not an alternative to it'.