Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron has called on the country to consider sanctioning two Israeli ministers as a way to put pressure on the country to act within international law. Speaking to the BBC Today programme, Cameron said before the election he had been working on plans to put sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. He described the two men as “extremist” and said using sanctions would send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “this is not good enough and has to stop”. The BBC has contacted Smotrich and Ben-Gvir for a response.
Lord Cameron said both men had said things like encouraging people to stop aid convoys going into Gaza, encouraging extreme settlers in the West Bank with the appalling things they have been carrying out. Earlier this year, Smotrich suggested it might be “justified and moral” to starve Gazans and has called for Palestinian residents to leave and make way for Israelis who could “make the desert bloom”.
Whitehall sources have said Lord Cameron’s plan to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on both men had been well advanced and ready to go. They said the decision was put on hold for fear of inflaming political tensions during campaigning for the general election. There were concerns about triggering violence in constituencies where views about the Middle East were polarised. It is also understood the United States at the time opposed sanctioning Mr Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.
Tom Keatinge from the Royal United Services Institute think tank told the BBC that putting sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would be a “significant move” aimed at sending a “major political message” to Israel. He also said there was “not a precedent” for the UK government sanctioning elements of an ally country, and added that there were “practical issues” as sanctions required “a lot of work” and that the Foreign Office’s sanctions director was already heavily overworked due to issues related to Russia.
Last month, the UK government restricted arms sales to Israel saying there was a “clear risk” the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law. But Lord Cameron said restricting arms sales to Israel while simultaneously helping to protect the country from Iranian attacks “made no sense”. The former PM said everyone wanted to see the conflict end but “end in a sustainable way.” He said Israel had faced attacks from Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north, and it was right to back the country’s right to self-defence. “But it is not a blank cheque, it is not unconditional,” he said. “We do want to make sure aid gets through into Gaza, we do want to see the role of the UN in Lebanon to be respected.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
