Why the U.K. and Allies Sanctioned Israeli Ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich—and What Comes Next

The U.K. and several allies have imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing the two far-right politicians of inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway joined the U.K. in imposing a travel ban on Ben-Gvir—Israel’s national security minister and a West Bank settler—and Finance Minister Smotrich. The five governments also froze any assets either may have in their countries.

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“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable,” said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. “This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.”

The British government reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and described the ongoing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as “completely unacceptable.”

The sanctions come as the U.K. and other European nations increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to lift the blockade on aid into Gaza, where humanitarian experts warn that famine is imminent.

“Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we cannot do it again,” responded Smotrich, referring to a 1939 British document limiting Jewish migration. “We are determined God willing to continue building,” Smotrich added, speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement in the Hebron Hills.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as “outrageous,” adding that the government would convene a special meeting to determine its response to what he called an “unacceptable decision.”

Here’s what to know about the sanctions.

What the sanctions mean for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

The British Foreign Office said the sanctions imposed on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich were effective immediately due to their “repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians.”

The Israeli cabinet ministers are now subject to a U.K. travel ban, will have any assets in the country frozen, and are barred from directing, managing or promoting a British company. 

The Foreign Office called on the Israeli government to crack down on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and emphasized that “measures today cannot be seen in isolation from events in Gaza, where Israel must uphold international humanitarian law.”

In May, the British government announced it was suspending negotiations with Israel on a prospective trade agreement.

What led to the sanctions?

On May 19, Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron in signing a joint statement condemning both Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

An estimated 529,455 Jewish settlers currently live in settlements in the West Bank, excluding those living in East Jerusalem. The United Nations considers these settlements illegal under international law. 

Violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, during which militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 others hostage.

Between Jan. 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, at least 616 Palestinians, including 115 children, had been killed by settlers or the Israeli military according to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In the same period, OCHA recorded 1,936 incidents of violence toward Palestinians, with 41,272 being displaced in the West Bank.

Who are Ben-Gvir and Smotrich?

Cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich lead far-right parties that had been regarded as outside the mainstream of Israeli politics until Benjamin Netanyahu invited them into a ruling coalition—which they now hold the power to disband.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party holds 14 seats in the 120-seat Knesset while Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party holds six.

The two ministers are known for their far-right political views and strong support for Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. 

Smotrich, born in the occupied Golan Heights in 1980, has repeatedly called for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza. 

On May 30, Smotrich announced plans to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank—a move widely regarded as illegal under international law. 

He called the expansion a “historic decision,” saying, “We have succeeded in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision.”

Self-described as a “fascist homophobe,” Smotrich has previously advocated for government reprisal attacks on Palestinians and supported segregated maternity wards for Jewish and Arab mothers.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, has a long history of far-right activism.

A former disciple of the extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, Ben-Gvir was known in his youth for his affiliation with Kach, a Jewish supremacist group outlawed in both Israel and the United States as a terrorist organization. 

By his early 30s, he had been convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organization. 

Though he has since rebranded himself as a mainstream political figure, Ben-Gvir continues to advocate for hardline policies against Palestinians and is a vocal proponent of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank.