British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering sanctioning Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, for their “abhorrent” comments. This decision follows a question posed by Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey in the House of Commons regarding remarks made by the two ministers.
Davey highlighted Smotrich’s justification of starving two million people in Gaza and Ben Gvir’s praise of settlers who killed a 19-year-old in the West Bank. Starmer acknowledged the abhorrent nature of these comments and expressed concern over activities in the West Bank and the wider region.
Former Foreign Secretary David Cameron revealed plans to impose sanctions on Smotrich and Ben Gvir but refrained from doing so due to the upcoming general election. Meanwhile, current Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced fresh sanctions against Israeli settler outposts and organizations involved in human rights abuses against Palestinians.
This development comes amidst growing political pressure on the UK government to take stronger action against Israel, with a significant number of MPs supporting measures to reevaluate the country’s ties with Israel.
‘Hateful, violent, disgusting language’
In response to the situation, Labour MP Emily Thornberry emphasized the need for continuous review and potential sanctions based on evidence of actions that harm Palestinian communities. The call for accountability and concrete measures to address settler violence and provocations has intensified within the UK Parliament.
For further updates on this issue and other related developments, subscribe to our newsletter and stay informed about the latest news on Israel-Palestine relations.