Two Israeli ministers sanctioned by 5 democracies

For the first time, five Western democracies, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway, have sanctioned two far-right Israeli politicians, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who are also ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, for "inciting extremist violence" against Palestinians in the West Bank.

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Former American President Joe Biden had also sanctioned Israeli settlers in West Bank violence, but these sanctions were lifted when President Donald Trump took office this January.

In a joint statement, the five countries stated that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich "have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocated the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous." United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Ben-Gvir and Smotrich of "inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months" and "encouraging egregious abuses of human rights."