BRITAIN has slapped sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers it accused of inciting extremist violence against Palestinians.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy joined Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in imposing travel bans and asset freezes on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, pledged: ‘We survived Pharaoh, we will survive Keir Starmer as well’[/caption]
Mr Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, above, have vowed to quit the government and trigger elections if Israel halts its war on Hamas[/caption]
The move, branded “outrageous and unacceptable” by Israel’s foreign minister, risks a row with Donald Trump’s US administration, which is leading Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks.
Mr Lammy and his four counterparts accused the two ministers of using “monstrous” rhetoric.
In a joint statement, they said the pair “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.
Both must be held to account, they said, for calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza so it could be re-settled by Jewish Israelis, as well as using extremist and violent language in pushes to annex the West Bank.
Mr Ben-Gvir and Mr Smotrich have threatened to withdraw from their government to force fresh elections if Israel ends its war against Hamas.
Asked if the UK would urge PM Benjamin Netanyahu to sack them, Mr Lammy said: “The Israeli government will make their own determination.”
The Tories’ Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said of the sanctions: “The Conservative Party had always been committed to supporting a two-state solution — delivered in the right way, and at the right time — and will work with the Government to support efforts to achieve this.”
Mr Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, pledged last night: “We survived Pharaoh, we will survive Keir Starmer as well.”
Finance minister Mr Smotrich added: “Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again.”
No 10 said: “Ben-Gvir and Smotrich do not speak for all Israeli people, but have a long history of dangerous and extremist views.”
Israel is expected to debate its response to the sanctions next week.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused the two ministers of using ‘monstrous’ rhetoric[/caption]
