انقسام غربي.. الخارجية الأمريكية تنتقد عقوبات بريطانيا على وزيرين إسرائيليين

In a situation that reflects a divergence in the approach of Western allies, the U.S. State Department expressed its discontent with the sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and four other countries on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, describing them as "ineffective" and "not contributing to achieving a ceasefire in Gaza."

This comment came from U.S. State Department spokesperson Tami Bruce during a press conference on (Tuesday), in response to the decision by Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway to impose travel bans and freeze assets on the ministers due to their "repeated incitement to violence against Palestinians" in the West Bank and their extreme statements regarding Gaza, amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and worsening violence in the West Bank.

Tami Bruce emphasized in her statements that the sanctions imposed by the five countries "will deepen Israel's international isolation" without achieving tangible progress towards ending the conflict in Gaza, and called on allies to "focus on supporting the negotiations of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative," which is a U.S.-Israeli mechanism for distributing aid in Gaza, despite criticism from the United Nations and the international community for excluding traditional UN channels.

Bruce added that "Hamas is the real perpetrator," in an attempt to divert attention from Israeli policies. This stance comes in the context of strong support from President Donald Trump's administration for Israel, as the United States previously vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza last week.

The United Kingdom, in conjunction with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, announced sanctions on Ben Gvir and Smotrich due to their roles in "inciting extreme violence" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and their statements promoting the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

The sanctions include travel bans to these countries and freezing any assets owned by the ministers, along with preventing financial institutions from dealing with them. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy clarified in a joint statement with his counterparts from the four countries that "Ben Gvir and Smotrich have caused serious violations of Palestinian human rights," stressing that these measures aim to "hold accountable those responsible for extreme violence."

The sanctions come amid a rise in attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank, where the United Nations has recorded more than 1,900 attacks since January 2024. Ben Gvir, leader of the "Jewish Power" party, and Smotrich, leader of the "Religious Zionism" party, are among the most prominent supporters of expanding illegal settlements, and they are key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition.

The idea of imposing sanctions on the ministers has been on the table for months, with former British Foreign Secretary David Cameron indicating that he planned to take this step during the Conservative Party's tenure (2023-2024). The Biden administration had previously discussed imposing similar sanctions but backed down, reflecting the sensitivity of U.S.-Israeli relations.

These sanctions are the first of their kind targeting ministers in an Israeli government, highlighting the increasing international pressure on Netanyahu's government due to its military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 55,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.