From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
UK joins Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway in sanctioning Smotrich, Ben Gvir over settler violence
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom issue a joint statement announcing sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
“Settler violence is incited by extremist rhetoric which calls for Palestinians to be driven from their homes, encourages violence and human rights abuses and fundamentally rejects the two-state solution,” say the five countries’ foreign ministers. “Settler violence has led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole communities.”
Over the past two years, Palestinian villages have been targeted in an increasing number of attacks by extremist Israeli settlers, which go unpunished in the vast majority of cases.
Law enforcement and military responses to settler violence have faced mounting scrutiny amid concerns that members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline right-wing cabinet are unwilling to tackle extremist attacks on Palestinians. Police officials have pushed back against the criticism.
The statement claims that Ben Gvir and Smotrich “have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.”
The foreign ministers say they have discussed the issue at length with the Israeli government, but “violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity.”
“The Israeli Government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric,” they say.
The five countries stress their support for Israel’s security, and say that Ben Gvir and Smotrich undermine Israel’s security and standing in the world.
Turning to Gaza, they say they are “appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid,” and insist that there be no transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.
They call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the unhindered flow of aid.
“We want to see a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas and a political pathway to a two state solution,” they say.
The Times of Israel Community.