UK sanctions Israeli ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers for repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will be barred from entering the UK and will have any assets held in the country frozen.

The measures, announced by the UK Foreign Office, are part of a joint move with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the two ministers had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights."

The UK’s decision follows what it described as escalating violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and continued inflammatory statements by the two ministers.

“These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account,” said Lammy.

“We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.”

The ministers, who lead ultra-nationalist parties in Israel's ruling coalition, have also been widely criticised for their hardline stance on the war in Gaza. Both oppose aid entering the territory and have called for Palestinians to be resettled outside Gaza.

Speaking in the Commons, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer said 2024 had witnessed the “worst settler violence” in the West Bank in two decades.

He blamed Smotrich and Ben-Gvir for inciting attacks that had “led to the deaths of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of whole towns and villages.” He said they had ignored repeated warnings from the UK government.

The sanctions come amid increasing international pressure on Israel over its conduct in both Gaza and the West Bank.

In recent months, the UK halted trade talks with Israel and joined Canada and France in warning that Israel risked breaching international law.

The Israeli government strongly condemned the sanctions, saying, “It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the cabinet would meet next week to discuss how to respond, calling the move an “unacceptable decision.”

Finance Minister Smotrich, speaking at the opening of a new settlement in the West Bank, said he felt “contempt” towards the UK’s actions.

“Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again,” he said. “We are determined, God willing, to continue building.”

The UK’s Foreign Office said the sanctions must also be seen in the context of Gaza, where Israel must uphold international humanitarian law.

The ministers’ political influence is key to the stability of the Israeli coalition government, which has a narrow majority in parliament.

US leaders criticised the UK’s decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X: “These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.”

He urged the countries to reverse the move and added that the US “stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticised the decision, calling it “shocking” in an interview with the BBC.

Both Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party and Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party are central to the Netanyahu-led coalition, which depends on their support to maintain power.

Since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has built around 160 settlements, now home to about 700,000 Israelis.

Most of the world views these settlements as illegal, a position supported by the International Court of Justice, though Israel disputes this.

In October, former foreign secretary Lord Cameron said the possibility of sanctions had been considered as a way to pressure Israel over its policies.