Former UK Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lord David Cameron revealed in an interview with the BBC that he had planned to sanction Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Cameron, who served as PM from 2010-2016 and as Foreign Minister from 2023-2024, intended to impose sanctions on the ministers for their extremist views and actions.
He believed that such sanctions would send a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the sanctions were never enacted due to concerns about the political ramifications especially during an election period. Sources close to the UK government confirmed that the plan was advanced and ready to go, but the process of compiling a detailed legal case for UK sanctions delayed the implementation.
Despite the delay, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently confirmed that the government was still considering imposing sanctions on both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. The potential move reflects the UK’s stance against extremism and violence.