The governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia have collectively announced sanctions against two Israeli government ministers: Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party and Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party.
These two figures represent the most fanatical, messianic, and fascistic elements of the current Israeli regime. Both have been instrumental in promoting genocidal policies and inciting violence, including pogrom-like attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinian towns in the West Bank.
These ministers have used their positions within the state’s security apparatus to shield Jewish extremists who terrorize Palestinian civilians, burn homes and farmland, and obstruct the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to besieged communities. The sanctions levied against them are not only justified—they are long overdue.
But that raises the question: Is this really enough?
While Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are among the most egregious members of the Israeli cabinet, what about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appointed them and continues to empower them? Netanyahu remains conspicuously silent in the face of their calls for war crimes and the illegal annexation of Palestinian land. Is he not equally culpable?
What about the other members of the governing coalition who choose to remain in power alongside these fascists?
Take, for example, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar—once a critic of Netanyahu and founder of the “New Hope” party, supposedly in defense of Israeli “democracy.” Today, he serves in the same cabinet with Netanyahu and his extremist allies. Does his willingness to prop up this far-right regime not also warrant sanctions?
Or consider Ya’akov Margi, Minister of Labor from the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, whose ministry has denied Palestinian workers basic rights and facilitated the exploitation of migrant labor as part of a broader policy aimed at economically suffocating the Palestinian population. Why should he and his party be exempt from international accountability?
The entire Israeli government has been complicit in a relentless war of annihilation against Gaza, has deepened the apartheid regime in the West Bank, and has openly collaborated with fascist ideologues. Shouldn’t every official responsible for this collective brutality be subject to sanctions?
The decision by these five governments to sanction Ben-Gvir and Smotrich invites another pressing question: What took you so long?
Since Oct. 8, 2023, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and other far-right lawmakers such as Revital Gotliv and Amichai Eliyahu have publicly used genocidal rhetoric to call for war crimes in Gaza. On Oct. 10 that year, Gotliv called for the use of “doomsday weapons” against the entire population of the Gaza Strip. She later told Israeli soldiers not to feel sympathy for civilians in Gaza, claiming, “there are none.” In November 2023, Eliyahu advocated the use of nuclear weapons against Gaza—despite Israel officially denying it possesses them.
These outrageous, criminal statements were made nearly two years ago. Where were the sanctions then?
To be clear, it is a welcome step that some of Israel’s allies are finally beginning to push back against the most violent segments of the Israeli ruling elite. But this is too little and far too late. Every day, Palestinians in Gaza are being slaughtered. Every day, West Bank families are being expelled from their homes, denied their fundamental rights, and subjected to apartheid violence.
More must be done.
Several countries—including Italy, Spain, Japan, Colombia, the Netherlands, and Belgium—have imposed arms embargoes, halting military exports to Israel. South Africa has taken a historic step by bringing genocide charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Yet the United States and Germany—Israel’s largest suppliers of arms and financial support—continue to defend and arm this regime. These governments must face intense pressure to sever their ties with Israel’s war machine and support the struggle for Palestinians’ basic human rights.
The international community can no longer afford to treat Israel’s escalating crimes as the actions of a few extremist individuals. The entire apparatus of occupation, apartheid, and settler-colonial violence must be confronted. Sanctioning Ben-Gvir and Smotrich is a start, but real accountability demands confronting the system that empowers them. Anything less is complicity.
As with all op-eds published by People’s World, the views reflected here are those of the author.
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