Posted on 06/10/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday condemned the decision by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway to impose sanctions on Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, urging those countries to reverse course.
“The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said.
“We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is,” he added.
“The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel,” clarified Rubio.
His statement came after the governments of the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Norway officially announced that they will impose sanctions on Ben Gvir and Smotrich, accusing them of incitement to violence against Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
The UK Foreign Office stated that the decision was made as part of a wider move to address what it described as "extremist settler violence" and the undermining of a future Palestinian state.
According to the British government, Ben Gvir and Smotrich are being sanctioned in their personal capacities, with both now subject to asset freezes, travel bans, and disqualification from serving as company directors in the UK.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar lashed out at the UK following its announcement.
"The British Mandate for the land of Israel ended in May 1948. It will never return," the Foreign Minister declared in a post on social media.
He affirmed that Israel is a "sovereign, independent, and proud state that is fighting a historic battle for its existence against a regional axis working to destroy it. Israel will emerge from this battle with the upper hand, first and foremost, because it has no other choice."