Extremist Israeli Ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich finally sanctioned by UK, but more must follow

London, 10^th June 2025- The United Kingdom has finally announced that it will sanction extremist Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, following months of pressure from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) and other civil society organisations.

Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security, and Finance Minister Smotrich, have repeatedly called for an expansion in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and have both strongly advocated and pushed for the continued blockade of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to having made numerous comments in support of ethnically cleansing Palestinians from Gaza as part of Israel’s genocidal campaign.

The sanctions will include a travel ban on both ministers, barring them from entering the UK and freezing any of their assets here as part of the measures announced by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said that the two individuals had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”. The UK is taking this joint action alongside Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Ben Gvir has been indicted for his support for Kach, and possession of Kach propaganda, a terrorist organisation that is even proscribed by Israel. He also had a portrait of the Israeli extremist terrorist Baruch Goldstein, who in 1994 massacred 29 Palestinians and wounded 125 others as they were praying in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

Smotrich meanwhile, was arrested in 2005 while in possession of 700 litres of gasoline on suspicion of participating in an attempt to blow up Ayalon Highway, a major arterial road in Tel Aviv.

Sanctions directed towards Ben Gvir and Smotrich has been a longstanding policy demand of ICJP’s. ICJP issued a public statement on the 16^th October 2024, calling for the two ministers to be sanctioned. This call was repeated by ICJP in articles in Raseef 22 on 29^th May 2024 and Middle East Eye on the 1^st June 2025.

ICJP views the sanctions as a step in the right direction, but responsibility does not start and end with them. This is no substitute for policies that target and seek to dismantle the entire illegal occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The UK must also sanction organisations such as the World Zionist Organization, and private corporations that are complicit in illegal settlements.

Likewise, UK policy must hold accountable the entire chain of command responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza and the UK must end its complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity and plausible genocide in Gaza. This includes ending all arms exports to Israel and ending UK military collaboration with Israel via RAF Akrotiri.

Senior Public Affairs Officer Jonathan Purcell said:

“It’s important that the UK has finally moved past piecemeal sanctions on individual settlers – but even so, this is merely the first step, and a long overdue first step at that.

However, It is equally important not to rejoice in the UK government’s meek and glacial reprimands. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and especially in Gaza is beyond harrowing and demands concrete action and intervention by third states that have an interest in protecting the international rules-based order.

While this is an important step that has been advocated for by many stakeholders including ICJP, there is substantive need for the UK government to acknowledge and tackle the root cause of Palestinian suffering that is made up of Israel’s well-engineered system of apartheid, and its illegal and discriminatory policies against Palestinians which has been in place for over 75 years.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

ICJP is a legal organisation based in London, working to uphold international law and defend the rights of Palestinians.

Sarah Tamimi (29^th May 2024) Settler Sanctions: It’s Not What, But Who’s in the Crosshairs. Raseef 22.

International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (16^th October 2024) Sanctions authority called on to investigate British charities with financial links to Israeli settlement organisations sanctioned by UK government; Israeli ministers must face sanctions too

Jonathan Purcell (1^st June 2025) UK sanctions must target roots of settler violence – starting with Smotrich and Ben Gvir. Middle East Eye.

For more information or for media inquiries, please contact the ICJP news desk at press@icjpalestine.com.

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