PNN – Israeli officials condemned the British government’s sanctions on Itamar Ben-Giver, Minister of Internal Security, and Betzelel Smotrich, Minister of Finance, and warned the world about the negative consequences of this decision.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing a report today by the Israeli Channel Seven TV, the British government’s sanctions on Finance Minister Betzel Smotrich and Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben-Giver led to concern and a sharp reaction from Israeli officials.
According to the report, Ben-Gower and Smotrach compared this embargo to the “White Paper” event that Winston Churchill (former British Prime Minister) published in 1922 following protests and demonstrations by the Palestinian people against the increasing wave of Jewish immigration to the land. In this book, he tried to overcome the wave of opposition in the British Parliament and the press against the British mandate, while explaining the term “national homeland” and referring to limiting Jewish immigration, taking into account the country’s economic conditions and capacity, prohibiting the sale of land to Jews, and establishing a parliament consisting of a majority of elected representatives of the Palestinian people.
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Ben-Gwer said: We passed Pharaoh, we will pass Starmer’s Wall, and I will continue to strive for Israel’s interests without fear.
Smotrich, who attended the inauguration ceremony of the new Jewish settlement in the Hebron Hills, responded to the report: Britain has decided to sanction me because I am preventing the establishment of a “Palestinian state.” The timing could not have been better. My natural reaction is to despise the “white paper.” This country has tried once to stop us from settling in Israel (Palestine) and we will not let it do it again.
Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli Foreign Minister, also said in statements that express the anger of Tel Aviv officials over London’s action: We have been informed of the UK’s decision to place two of our ministers on its sanctions list. It is a disgrace that elected officials and cabinet members are being subjected to this type of action.
The British newspaper The Times reported today that the British government will soon impose sanctions against Ben-Guyer and Smotrich, the hardline and extremist ministers of the Israeli cabinet.
According to the published report, Britain will join Canada, New Zealand and other countries in freezing assets and imposing travel bans on Ben-Gwer and Smotrich, on whom Netanyahu relies to maintain his fragile coalition.
The Times newspaper wrote that Smotrich will be subject to strict sanctions due to his extremist and racist statements such as “he will not allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip; not even a grain of wheat will reach the Gaza Strip,” as well as “Gaza will be completely destroyed” and “a large number of Gaza residents will go to third countries.”
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the statements of the two ministers “barbaric” and reacted sharply.
British Prime Minister Starmer also approved the move and said: The situation of the Palestinian people is unbearable and is getting worse every day. We must deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza quickly and on a large scale.
Starmer said about the sanctions against Benguier and Smotrich: We are talking to our partners about what can be done, including the option of sanctions. If sanctions are indeed imposed, it would mean that Smotrich and Benguier would not be able to enter the UK and no financial institution operating in or on behalf of the UK would be able to provide them with services.