The UK government has sanctioned two prominent Israeli ministers for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”.
Britain has been joined by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway in imposing sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich – who are opposed to Palestinian statehood and are on the far right of Israeli politics.
The ministers are being sanctioned in their personal capacities and are now subject to a freeze on UK assets and director disqualifications, as well as a ban on entering the country.
Here we take a look at who they are and why they have been sanctioned.
Itamar Ben-Gvir
Mr Ben-Gvir is Israel’s security minister and the leader of the Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party – one of the members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
The 49-year-old has previously been convicted of supporting a Jewish terrorist organisation and has supported the removal of Palestinians from their lands – including calling for Gaza’s people to be resettled from the territory.
The minister has also called for the al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem to be replaced with a synagogue.
The mosque – the third-holiest site in Islam – is built atop the Temple Mount – the holiest site in Judaism, and which was once home to two Jewish temples.
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Bezalel Smotrich
Mr Smotrich is Israel’s finance minister and leader of the National Religious Party-Religious Zionism – which is another part of Mr Netanyahu’s coalition.
He is in charge of Israel’s administration of the West Bank – the occupation of which is illegal under international law.
He has also approved an expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and called for aid not to be let into Gaza.
Mr Smotrich has recently said not “a grain of wheat” should be allowed to enter Gaza, saying it will be “entirely destroyed” and its people should be encouraged to leave in great numbers to go to other countries.
What has the UK and its allies said?
In a joint statement with foreign ministers from the four other countries who have announced sanctions, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the two senior Israelis had incited “serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.
The statement added: “These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.”
Meanwhile, a Number 10 spokesman said the sanctions have been applied in the “personal capacities” of the two ministers and “not their ministries and departments”.
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What has Israel said?
Mr Smotrich, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills in the West Bank, spoke of “contempt” for Britain’s move.
“Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again. We are determined, God willing, to continue building.”
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Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said it was “outrageous” that the UK had sanctioned the two ministers.
He also said he had spoken with Mr Netanyahu and that an Israeli response would be decided at a “special government meeting early next week”.
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Under what powers were the sanctions imposed?
The countries have used the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 to designate the ministers “involved persons”.
What can’t they do?
The ministers have had any UK assets frozen, and are banned from the UK. The same conditions apply in the other countries to have imposed sanctions.
