The United Kingdom announced Tuesday that it will impose sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, joining other countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway in taking action against the two officials.
The move comes after UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously signaled the decision, referencing statements from the ministers that he described as “monstrous.”
“We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution and will continue to work with our partners towards its implementation. It is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability in the region, but it is imperiled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,” Lammy said in a joint message alongside his counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway.
“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.”
Under the newly announced sanctions, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will be banned from entering the United Kingdom. In addition, UK-based banks and financial institutions will be prohibited from engaging in transactions with either minister.
Responding to the sanctions, Ben-Gvir said, “We survived Pharaoh, we will also survive [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer. I will continue to work for the State of Israel and the people of Israel without fear or intimidation!”
Smotrich also issued a reaction, stating, “I hear that Britain has decided to impose sanctions on me for obstructing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The timing couldn’t be better.”
“Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again. We are determined to continue building.”
Both ministers have recently opposed the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Smotrich declared he would not allow “even a grain of wheat” into the region, while Ben-Gvir insisted, “There is no need to bring in aid [to Gaza]. They have enough.”
In past remarks, Ben-Gvir also called for the replacement of the Al-Aqsa mosque with a Jewish house of worship and suggested Palestinians should leave Gaza. “We must encourage emigration. Encourage the voluntary emigration of the residents of Gaza,” he said in 2023.
In May, the UK said it would halt discussions on an upgraded trade agreement with Israel. The decision followed growing concerns from Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
“While the UK government remains committed to the existing trade agreement in force, it is not possible to advance discussions on a new, upgraded Free Trade Agreement with a Netanyahu government that is pursuing egregious policies in the West Bank and Gaza,” the government noted in a statement at the time.
During a speech in Parliament, Foreign Secretary Lammy reiterated that trade talks would remain on hold and condemned Smotrich’s earlier comments about forcibly moving Palestinians, as reported by the New York Times.
“We must call this what it is. It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Lammy told lawmakers in the House of Commons.
{Matzav.com}