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Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Why the U.K. and Allies Sanctioned Israeli Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich—and What Comes Next
The U.K. and several allies have imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing the two far-right politicians of inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway joined the U.K. in imposing a travel ban on Ben-Gvir—Israel's national security minister and a West Bank settler—and Finance Minister Smotrich. The five governments also froze any assets either may have in their countries. 'Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable,' said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. 'This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' The British government reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and described the ongoing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as 'completely unacceptable.' The sanctions come as the U.K. and other European nations increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to lift the blockade on aid into Gaza, where humanitarian experts warn that famine is imminent. "Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again,' responded Smotrich, referring to a 1939 British document limiting Jewish migration. 'We are determined God willing to continue building," Smotrich added, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as 'outrageous,' adding that the government would convene a special meeting to determine its response to what he called an 'unacceptable decision.' Here's what to know about the sanctions. What the sanctions mean for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich The British Foreign Office said the sanctions imposed on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were effective immediately due to their 'repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians.' The Israeli cabinet ministers are now subject to a U.K. travel ban, will have any assets in the country frozen, and are barred from directing, managing or promoting a British company. The Foreign Office called on the Israeli government to crack down on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and emphasized that 'measures today cannot be seen in isolation from events in Gaza, where Israel must uphold international humanitarian law.' In May, the British government announced it was suspending negotiations with Israel on a prospective trade agreement. What led to the sanctions? On May 19, Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron in signing a joint statement condemning both Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. An estimated 529,455 Jewish settlers currently live in settlements in the West Bank, excluding those living in East Jerusalem. The United Nations considers these settlements illegal under international law. Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, during which militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 others hostage. Between Jan. 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, at least 616 Palestinians, including 115 children, had been killed by settlers or the Israeli military according to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the same period, OCHA recorded 1,936 incidents of violence toward Palestinians, with 41,272 being displaced in the West Bank. Who are Ben-Gvir and Smotrich? Cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich lead far-right parties that had been regarded as outside the mainstream of Israeli politics until Benjamin Netanyahu invited them into a ruling coalition —which they now hold the power to disband. Smotrich's Religious Zionism party holds 14 seats in the 120-seat Knesset while Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party holds six. The two ministers are known for their far-right political views and strong support for Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. Smotrich, born in the occupied Golan Heights in 1980, has repeatedly called for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza. On May 30, Smotrich announced plans to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank—a move widely regarded as illegal under international law. He called the expansion a 'historic decision,' saying, 'We have succeeded in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision.' Self-described as a 'fascist homophobe,' Smotrich has previously advocated for government reprisal attacks on Palestinians and supported segregated maternity wards for Jewish and Arab mothers. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, has a long history of far-right activism. A former disciple of the extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, Ben-Gvir was known in his youth for his affiliation with Kach, a Jewish supremacist group outlawed in both Israel and the United States as a terrorist organization. By his early 30s, he had been convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization. Though he has since rebranded himself as a mainstream political figure, Ben-Gvir continues to advocate for hardline policies against Palestinians and is a vocal proponent of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK pauses trade negotiations with Israel and summons Israeli ambassador
The United Kingdom has paused trade negotiations with Israel, sanctioned West Bank settlers and summoned the Israeli ambassador due to Israel's military operation in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank, the British foreign ministry announced Tuesday. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the UK and Israel are on 'formal pause… effective immediately,' the British Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that it 'it is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded FTA with a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.' Israel's Ambassador to the UK, Tzipura Hotovely has also been summoned to the British Foreign Office over the Israeli military's offensive in Gaza, the statement added. 'Today I will set out to Ambassador Hotovely the government's opposition to the wholly disproportionate escalation of military activity in Gaza and emphasize that the 11-week block on aid to Gaza has been cruel and indefensible. I will urge Israel to halt settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank,' British Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said. 'Israel must abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law and ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The limited amount of aid entering is simply not enough,' he continued. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers Tuesday the UK government would sanction seven entities in October. 'Here, too, we must do more. Today, we are therefore imposing sanctions on a further three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement.' Lammy added: 'We will continue to act against those who are carrying out heinous abuses of human rights.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
UK pauses trade negotiations with Israel and summons Israeli ambassador
The United Kingdom has paused trade negotiations with Israel, sanctioned West Bank settlers and summoned the Israeli ambassador due to Israel's military operation in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank, the British foreign ministry announced Tuesday. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between the UK and Israel are on 'formal pause… effective immediately,' the British Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that it 'it is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded FTA with a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza.' Israel's Ambassador to the UK, Tzipura Hotovely has also been summoned to the British Foreign Office over the Israeli military's offensive in Gaza, the statement added. 'Today I will set out to Ambassador Hotovely the government's opposition to the wholly disproportionate escalation of military activity in Gaza and emphasize that the 11-week block on aid to Gaza has been cruel and indefensible. I will urge Israel to halt settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank,' British Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer said. 'Israel must abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law and ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The limited amount of aid entering is simply not enough,' he continued. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told lawmakers Tuesday the UK government would sanction seven entities in October. 'Here, too, we must do more. Today, we are therefore imposing sanctions on a further three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement.' Lammy added: 'We will continue to act against those who are carrying out heinous abuses of human rights.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
Metro
20-05-2025
- Metro
Similarities between Brit 'drug smuggler' held in Sri Lanka and Bella Culley
Another young British tourist is facing years behind bars in a 'hellhole' foreign prison accused of trying to smuggle drugs out of Thailand. Charlotte May Lee, 21, from south London, was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last Monday after allegedly attempting to bring in more than £1 million worth of Kush – a synthetic form of cannabis – concealed in her luggage. Her detention came within 24 hours of another UK woman – Bella May Culley – being arrested at an airport in Georgia for trying to smuggle 14kg of cannabis. Both had flown alone from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. Bella was said to have told relatives she was meeting up with a male friend she had made on a previous trip. Relatives of Charlotte's similarly said she had made comments about meeting a man in Thailand, following a painful break-up. Charlotte is a part-time beautician who previously worked as a cabin crew member for TUI. She was arrested after stepping off a flight landing in Sri Lanka last weekend, The Sun reports. In two suitcases, police were said to have found nearly 50kg of Kush inside dozens of large vacuum-packed bags. Reports in Sri Lanka says she remains in custody while the case is being investigated. The British Foreign Office said: 'We are supporting a British woman who has been arrested in Sri Lanka and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.' A friend said Charlotte had been travelling in Thailand for her 21st birthday last month. She was said to have returned to the UK briefly before jetting off again. Relatives said she had spoken vaguely about meeting a man in Thailand, having recently gone through a difficult break-up. Charlotte is currently being held in a local jail, Negombo Prison, while her case makes its way through the court system. If convicted, legal sources in the country say she could serve her sentence in the country's largest, maximum security prison, the Daily Mail reports. Welikada Prison has previously been described as 'hell' – particularly for female inmates – with maggots found in the food and rats scurrying between cells. One anonymous female prisoner said in a 2011 interview: 'We are treated as far less than human. About 150 of us sleep in a cell designed for 75 people. 'An open drain infested with rats runs the perimeter of the room. Recently, one of the inmates was bitten and had to be rushed to the hospital for an anti-rabies shot.' A family friend told the Sun: 'We're frantically worried. She was arrested then seemingly abandoned and is rotting in a jail cell. She's very scared.' Although they were thousands of miles apart, Bella and Charlotte were arrested within a day of each other. Both had flown from the same airport in Thailand, having reportedly travelled there to meet a mysterious male acquaintance. Both are now accused of acting as drugs mules for organised crime gangs. Each woman is alleged to have attempted to smuggle in huge quantities of cannabis or synthetic cannabis inside hermetically-sealed bags into the countries of their respective arrests. Bella's granddad William Culley suggested she may have been taken advantage of by someone else. Speaking to the Mirror, he said: 'She's not daft, she's an intelligent girl. Why has she done it? Has someone dangled money in front of her? 'We just don't know what has gone on until we get out there and talk to her. We are just hoping that somebody can do something. She must be terrified.' More Trending Bella similarly faces a hefty sentence in an intimidating foreign prison. She will reportedly serve any sentence in the country's only women's jail, the notorious Prison No. 5. The prison has been subject to controversy, with human rights groups criticising the treatment of prisoners housed there. A report by Human Rights Watch found Georgia's prisons were 'severely overcrowded', threatening the safety of inmates. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Inside the forgotten home of Fred and Rose West that's still standing MORE: These two 'vibrant' cities 914 miles apart will soon be connected by train MORE: Tommy Robinson to be released from prison next week after winning court appeal
The Independent
20-05-2025
- The Independent
Bella May Culley: Pregnant British teenager's lawyer in warning over Georgia prison conditions
A British teenager being held in a Georgian prison, accused of smuggling 14kg of cannabis into the country, has complained she is not getting the medical care for her pregnancy. Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, County Durham, reportedly told a court in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi last week that she was pregnant. The teenager is facing life imprisonment, which is 20 years, after she was arrested on suspicion of carrying dozens of bags of the drugs into the country. Ms Culley had been travelling in Asia, but had not been heard from since 10 May. Speaking to her new lawyer, Mariam Kublashvili, she reportedly said she was not getting the medical care she required. Ms Kublashvili told The Sun: 'Bella is pregnant and needs medical care which she complained she wasn't getting. 'She asked me for tuna fish which I thought was odd and might have been something to do with pregnancy cravings - but I found out later fish cannot be sent in. 'She told me no tests, checks or medical examinations have been done. 'She said she asked for a doctor, but the doctor wasn't speaking English and they couldn't understand each other.' Ms Kublashvili added: 'She doesn't fit the profile of a drug trafficker at all. For anyone, like me, with experience in dealing with such cases, it would be quite obvious that she is a victim here - she's been used and manipulated.' A British Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that Ms Culley had been detained in Georgia and that they were supporting the teenager's family. Her family first launched an appeal for the missing teenager last Tuesday morning. Her father, Niel Culley and aunt flew out to Bangkok over the weekend to find out more about Ms Culley's whereabouts, only to discover that she was in Georgia. The father said he would stay 'as long as it takes' to end her ordeal.
