With a move that will surely spark reactions, inside and outside, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed an Israeli ministers, Ithadamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotric, charging them. The sanctions were even announced in a common text by the Foreign Ministries of the Five countries.
The measures include freezing assets and imposition of travel bans on Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir – a West Bank Epistics – and to Israeli Finance Minister Smotric.
“Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotric have motivated extremist violence and serious violations of Palestinian human rights. These actions are unacceptable, “British Foreign Minister David Lamy said in a joint statement, along with the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.
The support of “forced displacement of Palestinians and the establishment of new Israeli settlements is unacceptable and dangerous,” they emphasized, describing their actions as “unacceptable”. “That’s why we have taken steps now to make the accountants accountable,” they added.
The first reactions
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the move as “outrageous”, saying the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the “unacceptable decision”.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement on the hills of Hebron, Smotrich showed “contempt” against sanctions. “Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling in the cradle of our homeland (…) we are determined, if God wants, to continue to build.” “We survived Pharaoh, we will survive (British Prime Minister)” Kir Starmer, Ben Gvir also reacted contemptuously.
They set the ground for the UN
In the joint announcement – coming a week before the UN conference on Gaza and the solution of the two states that France has made as a possible process for the Palestinian reconciliation in cooperation and with Great Britain – British diplomacy reiterates its commitment to “
“We will try to achieve a immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the rest of Hamas, which can have no future role in Gaza’s governance, an increase in aid and a course towards a two -state solution,” the statement said.
The United Kingdom, like other European countries, has stepped up pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the exclusion that has imposed – even co -operating with armed jihadist organizations against Hamas – by the Israeli government in the humanitarian aid.
London suspended free trade with Israel last month, accusing the Israeli government of “scandalous policies” on the occupied West Bank and Gaza. British diplomacy even called the Israeli ambassador and announced further sanctions against the western bank settlers.
