Credit Getty Images
Canada and four of its key international partners have imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli government officials, citing their role in inciting violence and promoting extremist policies in the occupied West Bank.
The sanctions target Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, and Bezalel Smotrich, the country’s Finance Minister. In a joint announcement issued Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom condemned the ministers’ rhetoric, accusing them of contributing to violence against Palestinian civilians and obstructing the path toward peace.
“These actions are not acceptable,” the joint statement declared. “We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now.”
The five countries said the two Israeli ministers have “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights,” while promoting settlement expansion and calling for forced displacement moves they say directly undermine a two-state solution.
“We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution,” the statement continued. “It is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long-term stability in the region.”
While Canada reaffirmed its support for Israel’s security and condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks, officials drew a clear line between supporting Israel as a nation and holding individual leaders accountable for inflammatory and destabilizing behaviour.
“Today’s measures are targeted towards individuals who in our view undermine Israel’s own security and its standing in the world,” the ministers said.
The United Kingdom, one of the five signatories, took a particularly firm stance. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that the two sanctioned ministers had been “inciting violence” and committing “egregious abuses of human rights for months.”
In response to the sanctions, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dismissed the move as meaningless. “The sanctions don’t scare me, I despise the white paper,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “I will continue to work for our country, for our people. I will continue to work and make sure that they don’t let humanitarian aid into Hamas. We got through Pharaoh, we’ll get through this too.”
The announcement also addressed the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stressing the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unrestricted delivery of aid. The ministers emphasized that the situation in the West Bank could not be viewed in isolation from Gaza’s suffering.
“There must be no unlawful transfer of Palestinians from Gaza or within the West Bank,” the joint statement warned, adding that Canada and its allies continue to support “a reconstructed Gaza no longer run by Hamas and a political pathway to a two-state solution.”
As tensions rise in the region and pressure mounts on Israel’s far-right coalition, Canada’s latest action signals a turning point in its foreign policy, one that seeks to balance unwavering support for Israel’s security with a firm commitment to human rights and international law.
About the Author
