On Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced the imposition of sanctions and travel restrictions against two extremist ministers of the Israeli government, the Minister of Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, and the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich. With this measure, the British government aims to increase pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the offensive in Gaza progresses.
Thus, the two high-ranking officials of the Israeli government will have all their assets frozen on British soil, a territory they will not be able to access for the time being, as indicated by the UK Foreign Office.
The decision was made jointly with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, so the sanctions will also apply in those countries.
According to The Guardian, former Foreign Minister, conservative and also former Prime Minister David Cameron, had planned a similar decision last summer, but postponed it due to the general elections in Great Britain.
Why is the United Kingdom sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Lammy, stated that the ministers are responsible for “inciting violence” and committing “serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.” The measures essentially target the role of these two ministers in gaining control of the territory of the West Bank through new illegal settlements.
Lammy, in alliance with the other four countries, added that “we are firmly committed to the two-state solution and will continue working with our partners for its implementation.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, described this measure as “outrageous” and pointed out that these are “democratically elected representatives and members of the government”.
“I have talked about this before with Netanyahu and we are going to have a meeting next week to discuss what our response will be to this unacceptable decision,” added the Israeli Foreign Minister.
Who are the ministers sanctioned by the United Kingdom?
Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir belong to far-right parties that are crucial for the viability of the coalition government led by Netanyahu and that is at a decisive moment.
Both have been criticized for their harsh words about Gaza and the Palestinian population. They also oppose any ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. In this sense, Smotrich himself has always defended the blockade of aid to Gaza, where international organizations have described the situation as “catastrophic”.
A few days ago, Ben Gvir made a controversial visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a sacred place for the Muslim world, and generated strong criticism from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan, who considered it a violation of “international law”.
After learning about the decision of the British government, Ben Gvir compared it to the document issued by London in 1939, which limited Jewish migration to the territory under British mandate in Palestine and established restrictions on the sale of land to Jewish individuals following the Arab revolts that took place between 1936 and 1939.
“We survived the pharaoh, we will survive Keir Starmer,” Ben Gvir asserted in relation to the British Prime Minister. “We will continue to work for Israel and its people without any fear and without being intimidated,” he stated in a press release where he accused London of trying to prevent Jewish settlements in the past. “We will not allow it to happen again,” he said.
Shortly after the announcement was made, Smotrich promised new settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, stating that “there is no better time” for it, according to information gathered by the newspaper The Times of Israel.
One of the most complex issues in a potential two-state solution scenario are the illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, where around 500,000 Israeli settlers live, not including the 200,000 in East Jerusalem.