OTTAWA — Canada is joining the U.K., Norway, Australia and New Zealand in sanctioning two Israeli cabinet ministers for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are accused of pushing “extremist rhetoric” by calling for the displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the territory.
The four countries issued a joint statement announcing the sanctions this morning.
The statement says that the countries tried to work with the Israeli government on the issue of forced Palestinian displacement, but the “perpetrators” continued to act with “encouragement and impunity.”
The statement says that while the countries imposing sanctions still support Israel’s right to defend itself, the actions of the “targeted individuals” undermine “Israel’s own security and standing in the world.”
The sanctions prevent Canadians and Canadian organizations from doing business with the sanctioned individuals and makes them inadmissible to Canada.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on June 10, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
