Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway have imposed sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, and Bezalel Smotrich.
The Associated Press
The federal government says it is imposing sanctions on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers for “inciting violence against Palestinians” in the West Bank, in a rare rebuke to an allied country.
The move is being made in concert with Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, which all announced the measures Tuesday against Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and its Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich.
Canada’s sanctions bar the two men from travelling to this country, freeze any assets they might have in Canada and prohibit Canadian financial institutions from providing services to them.
It’s unusual for Canada to hit allies with such penalties, and these sanctions are particularly notable because the United States under President Donald Trump is not participating in the measures.
Canada said it is taking action because Israel has not.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights,” a statement from the Department of Global Affairs said. “Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.”
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The federal government said it has extensively discussed the matter with the Israeli government, “yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the sanctions follow a recent warning from Canada and Britain that they would take concrete measures if Israel did not alter course on settlements in the West Bank.
She emphasized that the measures do not reflect a change in Canada’s backing for Israel.
“These measures are directed against individuals who directly contribute to extremist settler violence,” Ms. Anand said.
“The measures are not directed against the State of Israel itself. Canada remains unwavering in its support to the state of Israel.”
Israeli raid in Nablus, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 10.Raneen Sawafta/Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday condemned the new sanctions.
“These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” he said in a statement, calling Hamas a terrorist organization that commits atrocities and continues to hold Israeli hostages. “We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”
John Boscariol, head of McCarthy Tétrault’s international trade and investment law group, said he cannot recall any case in this country’s modern history “where Canada has sanctioned an ally government like this, or officials in an ally government.”
He said such sanctions have been imposed against government officials in Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela, Myanmar, Nicaragua and South Sudan, “but never a close Western ally like this.”
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The sanctions are being imposed using Special Economic Measures regulations first introduced last year by Canada to penalize “extremist” Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The two ministers’ names are being added to the list under those regulations.
Mr. Boscariol, a Canadian expert on sanctions, said the fact Ottawa is taking such actions against Israeli government officials is a remarkable shift. “A year ago, if you had asked me about this, I would say there’s no way we’re going to impose sanctions against Israel, let alone identifying cabinet ministers. But here we are. It’s quite extraordinary.”
Tuesday’s measures also highlight the growing separation between Canadian and U.S. human-rights policies, he said.
“Very frequently, when Canada imposes sanctions against targets where there are concerns about human-rights violations or corruption, they do that in conjunction with the United States,” Mr. Boscariol said.
NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson welcomed the sanctions but urged Canada to go further. “These sanctions are focused on the horrific crimes in the West Bank. But Canada is still refusing to impose sanctions on Israeli leaders for the genocide in Gaza.”
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In January, after several Israeli settlers were killed in the West Bank, Mr. Smotrich called for a number of West Bank cities and villages to be reduced to rubble, similarly to an area in the Gaza Strip that has been hard hit by Israel’s airstrikes. According to the Washington Post, Mr. Smotrich said in a statement, “Funduq, Nablus and Jenin should look like Jabalya.”
Mr. Ben-Gvir, quoted in the Jerusalem Post, said the sanctions by countries such as Britain will not change his behaviour. “We survived Pharaoh, we will also survive [British Prime Minister] Keir Starmer,” Mr. Ben-Gvir said. “I will continue to work for the State of Israel and the people of Israel without fear or intimidation!”
Mr. Smotrich also appeared to shrug off the measures, again citing the British sanctions, which mirror the penalties by Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand.
“I hear that Britain has decided to impose sanctions on me for obstructing the establishment of a Palestinian state. The timing couldn’t be better,” Mr. Smotrich said, according to the Jerusalem Post. “Britain has already tried once to prevent us from settling the cradle of our homeland, and we will not allow it to do so again. We are determined to continue building.”
By comparison, on Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a major Palestinian legal group for prisoners and detainees, along with five other charitable entities across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, accusing them of supporting Palestinian armed factions and militant groups, including Hamas’s military wing, under the pretense of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
With a report from Associated Press