EU High Representative Borrell suggests imposing sanctions against two of Israel’s ministers

Brussels – After the baffling words of Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, on the moral justification of starving the people of Gaza to obtain the release of hostages in the hands of Hamas, came those of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister for National Security and leader of the far-right ‘Jewish Power’ party. It was too much for the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who had strongly condemned Smotrich’s statement and asked the Israeli government to distance itself from it. Now, Borrell has suggested imposing sanctions against its two most extremist ministers.

In a post on his X profile, Ben-Gvir criticized the negotiation strategy that the US and major countries in the region encourage because Hamas “must continue to be trampled until it surrenders completely.” For this to happen, the Jewish state should “stop the transfer of humanitarian aid and fuel to Gaza until all our abductees have returned home.” In addition, the minister urged the Israeli government to “encourage immigration and occupy the territories of the Gaza Strip to keep them permanently in our hands.”

Statements that echo those made on several occasions by Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, and are not leaps forward by the leaders but reflect the principles and guidelines of their political formations: Jewish Power’s political program explicitly calls for the annexation of the West Bank and Israel’s full control of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It rejects the idea of a Palestinian state. It also calls for the cancellation of the 1993 Oslo Accords, by which Israel and the then Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) committed to mutual recognition.

“Like Minister Smotrich’s sinister statements, this is an incitement to war crimes,” commented the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, suggesting adding an EU sanctions regime to the agenda to target the two ministers. The EU sanctions regime for human rights violations already includes nine individuals and five entities linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Those who end up on the EU blacklist are subject to the freezing of assets held in Europe and a ban on setting foot on European soil. At the same time, individuals and entities affected by the sanctions cannot receive funds or economic resources for their benefit.

Although it is Borrell’s prerogative as High Representative to propose changes to the lists of those subject to EU restrictive measures, unanimous approval from all member countries is needed to proceed. The head of European diplomacy again urged the Israeli government to “unequivocally distance itself from these incitements to commit war crimes” and to “engage in good faith in negotiations facilitated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.