EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell is calling on EU member states to impose sanctions on several Israeli ministers for hate speech and incitement to war crimes.
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Jewish Power) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) are believed to be two of the Israeli officials who could be subject to the sanctions.
– I initiated the procedure to ask member states if they want (to) include in our list of sanctions some Israeli ministers (who) have been launching hate messages, unacceptable hate messages against the Palestinians and proposing things that clearly go against international law, and (are) an incitation to commit war crimes, Borrell told a group of assembled journalists on Thursday morning.
The foreign affairs chief will also meet the 27 EU foreign ministers in Brussels today to discuss sanctions against Israeli officials, but a formal decision is expected soon and it is highly doubtful that enough countries will support the sanctions proposal.
Borrell did not name any Israeli ministers, but he was apparently referring to Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who belong to the far-right Zionist wing of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
“Ben-Gvir sparked international condemnation with a recent visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, going against the status quo maintained by Israeli authorities”, writes Euro News.
While the World pushes for a ceasefire in #Gaza, Min. Ben Gvir calls for cutting fuel & aid to civilians.
Like Min. Smotrich sinister statements, this is an incitement to war crimes. Sanctions must be on our EU agenda.
I support UN @Volker_Turk in his strong condamnations. 1/2
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 11, 2024
“The EU strongly condemns the provocations of Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir who, during his visit to the holy sites, advocated a violation of the status quo”, Borrell commented earlier in August.
More illegal settlements
As for Smotrich, he has been repeatedly condemned internationally for expressing plans to increase the number of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and for saying that it might be “moral” to let Palestinians in Gaza starve.
“While the world pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, Min. Ben Gvir calls for cutting fuel & aid to civilians. Like Min. Smotrich’s sinister statements, this is an incitement to war crimes. Sanctions must be on our EU agenda”, Borrell said.
In the past, the EU has imposed sanctions on a handful of individuals and groups who carried out attacks on Palestinian settlements in the spring, but these have had very limited effect. Since then, the Israeli government has continued to provide state aid to various illegal settlement projects, and Smotrich has also refused to pay tax revenues earmarked for the Palestinian Authority, which administers the West Bank, the paper reports.
