Five Western countries announced on Tuesday a coordinated effort to impose sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, reflecting a shift in international sentiment toward Israel amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The countries—Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway—specifically targeted Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich. The sanctions include travel restrictions and the freezing of their financial assets.
Both ministers are known for their hardline positions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet and have previously called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. British foreign secretary David Lammy has condemned their rhetoric as “monstrous.”
In a joint statement, the five countries' foreign ministers cited the ministers' incitement of extremist violence and serious human rights abuses against Palestinians as the basis for their actions, aiming to hold them accountable.
While the sanctions were primarily a response to violence in the West Bank, British officials indicated that they also aimed to increase pressure on Netanyahu's government to seek a cease-fire with Hamas during an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, condemned the sanctions as “unacceptable” and indicated that the Israeli government would convene to discuss a response. Critics, however, argue that the sanctions may lack the necessary impact to drive significant policy change in Israel.
The sanctions were viewed as a sign of Israel's increasing diplomatic isolation, following previous statements from Western nations regarding the treatment of civilians in Gaza. France opted not to participate in the sanctions, indicating differing approaches among allies.
The sanctions included four members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, with British officials noting that they encountered little resistance when consulting U.S. officials about the sanctions.
Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy criticized the sanctions as insufficient to impact Israeli public opinion or halt violations of international law in the region, adding that measures against the ministers would likely have little effect on the ongoing conflict.
In response to the sanctions, both ministers expressed defiance on social media. Smotrich described the measures as a repeat of historical attempts to hinder Jewish settlements, while Ben-Gvir framed the sanctions as part of a broader conflict with radical Islam.
The five countries' statement highlighted that extremist Israeli settlers have committed numerous attacks on Palestinian civilians since last year, contributing to the deteriorating situation and undermining prospects for peace.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government faced increasing pressure from within the Labour Party for stronger measures against Israel, having previously suspended arms shipments and paused trade deal discussions. Starmer, guided by international law principles, has faced calls to label Israel's actions as genocide without fully endorsing that characterization.
In a recent open letter, over 800 legal experts and academics urged British authorities to impose further sanctions on Israel, asserting that the country had crossed thresholds for war crimes and genocide during the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel has firmly rejected these allegations, maintaining that its actions do not constitute genocide.
In Parliament, Lammy condemned Smotrich's comments regarding the "cleansing" of Gaza and emphasized the need to recognize the extremism and dangers of such rhetoric.