220 Israeli expats sign letter calling for sanctions against far-right ministers
The letter, organised by the We Democracy group calls on Labour to 'implement sanctions' against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich andSecurity Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
More than 220 Israelis living in the UK have signed a letter calling on the government to sanction two far-right ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, are singled out for criticism by advocating policies that violate international law and threaten democracy.
The pair are accused of “working fast towards their goals of annexation and occupation, and proposing a plethora of laws against the media, protesters and democracy. Red lines have been crossed and action must be taken now.”
The letter, organised as a grassroots initiative, calls on Labour to “implement sanctions against two extremist Israeli Ministers”, accusing them of “doing all they can to prevent a hostage and ceasefire deal and instead focusing their entire energies on their messianic aims: annexing the West Bank and settling the Gaza strip”.
In a letter to Keir Starmer and David Lammy the signatories urged the pair to prove it is a “true friend of Israel” by sanctioning the two ministers.
The government has previouly indicated it is considering sanctions, in a response to “abhorrent” comments by the two Israeli ministers.
They urged the UK leaders to help drive “a wedge between the most extreme and harmful elements in Israeli society, and the majority of Israelis who share the same liberal values” as people in this country.
The signatories say demanding sanctions “doesn’t come naturally to many of us”.
It adds: “We are Israelis who want to see Israel thriving as a democratic state. But that’s exactly why we believe the international community must do all it can to stop these extremists from destroying Israel from within”.
The letter also accuses the Israeli government of “taking Israel down the route of war crimes” in Gaza.
“The UK government is at risk of being implicated in those crimes, due to its continued support for the government,” it says.
“If the UK is a true friend of Israeli society, it should not turn a blind eye to the grave risk that the rise of the extreme right represents.”
Pro-peace advocacy group Yachad have launched a similar campaign condemning Smotrich and Ben Gvir and appealing for them to be sanctioned by the UK.
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