UK and Canada sanction two right-wing Israeli ministers

UK and Canada sanction two right-wing Israeli ministers

The United Kingdom and other Western allies have imposed sanctions on two hardline Israeli government ministers. The move comes due to "repeated incitement to violence against Palestinian communities" in the West Bank, the British Foreign Office announced on Tuesday.

Details about the sanctions

The sanctions affect National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both men will be banned from traveling and freezing assets in the UK, the government said.

Political background

Ben Gvir and Smotrich lead right-wing political parties that are propping up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government. Both have been heavily criticized for their provocative statements about the occupied West Bank and their positions on the conflict in Gaza.

Joint statement by the Western allies

The sanctions will be implemented jointly by Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, according to a joint statement from the countries' foreign ministers. The statement said: "We are committed to pursuing a two-state solution that guarantees security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensures long-term stability in the region. But this is threatened by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion."

Criticism of extremist behavior

The statement continued: "Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians. Extremist rhetoric promoting the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous." The statement makes it clear that the issue has been discussed intensively with the Israeli government, but that the perpetrators of violence continue to be encouraged and act with impunity.

connection with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Although the sanctions target the West Bank, the Western allies' statement added that "of course this cannot be viewed in isolation from the disaster in Gaza. We remain shocked by the immense suffering of the civilian population, including the denial of urgently needed assistance."

Reactions of the ministers concerned

Smotrich and Ben Gvir live in West Bank settlements that Palestinians and the majority of the international community view as part of a future Palestinian state. Ben Gvir, the leader of the Jewish Power party, responded to the sanctions on Tuesday, saying: "The sanctions do not scare me. I will continue to act for our country and our people and ensure that humanitarian aid does not reach Hamas."

Smotrich said on Tuesday: "I heard that Britain has decided to impose sanctions against me because I want to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state." He added: "Britain has already tried to stop us settling the cradle of our homeland once and we will not allow this to happen again. With God's help we are determined to keep building."

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN's Rob Picheta, Sharon Braithwaite and Abbas Al Lawati contributed to this report.