The EU’s foreign policy Chief, Josep Borrell, has raised the prospect of levying sanctions against Israeli Ministers who call for international law violations.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Borrell said that he has begun the process of asking EU member states “if they consider (it) appropriate to include in our list of sanctions some Israeli Ministers (who) have been launching unacceptable hate messages against the Palestinians, and proposing things that clearly go against international law.”
Borrell’s remarks came after Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter called for sanctions on Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Petra De Sutter said that she will offer full support for the imposition of sanctions on the far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, during an upcoming meeting of the European Union’s top diplomats.
The meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers is set to take place later today, Thursday, August 29, 2024, in Brussels.
“Genocidal policies and statements should not go unpunished,” she said in a post on X.
De Sutter did not provide specifics on the statements and policies.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has previously prompted outrage, including from the EU, for saying that “it might be justified and moral” to starve the two million Palestinians in Gaza as well as for calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from the coastal enclave.
National Security Minister Ben-Gvir has also drawn anger for advocating the resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza and for saying that his right to move around the occupied West Bank outweighed those of the Palestinians living there.
Ireland also backed Borrell’s push to sanction Israeli ministers accused of deploying “hate messages” against Palestinians and disregarding international law.
Speaking to reporters before a meeting in Brussels, Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin said, “We will be supporting Josep Borrell’s recommendation for sanctions in respect of settler organisations in the West Bank who are facilitating [the] expansion of settlements, and also to Israeli Ministers.”
Meanwhile, Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, said that his government was “now working with our friends in Europe to prevent the adoption of resolutions against Israel” at the upcoming meeting of EU’s top diplomats.
“The message we are conveying is clear: in a reality where Israel is faced with the threats of Iran and its proxy terrorist organizations – the free world must stand by Israel, and not act against it,” he wrote on X.
The EU said that the UN’s Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, will join the discussion to brief the diplomats on the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
UN Chief ‘Deeply Concerned’ By Ben-Gvir’s Statements
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres expressed concern over “dangerous and provocative acts and statements” by Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has led Israelis in the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound several times since the war on Gaza began and called for a synagogue to be built there.
Guterres called for “an immediate cessation” of Israel’s operations in the occupied West Bank, including its assault on Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas governorates.
The UN chief strongly condemned the loss of lives, including of children, and urged Israel to protect civilians and ensure their safety.
“All those injured must have access to medical care, and humanitarian workers must be able to reach everyone in need,” he said.
“These dangerous developments are fuelling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority,” he added.
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