UK, Canada,Western allies sanction two far-right Israeli govt ministers

CNN :

The United Kingdom, Canada and other allies announced sanctions Tuesday on two hardline Israeli government ministers for repeatedly “inciting violence against Palestinians,” in a stark joint move that comes amid growing Western condemnation of Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will face a travel ban and an asset freeze, the UK government said.
Ben Gvir and Smotrich both lead far-right political parties that help keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile governing coalition afloat.
Both men have faced criticism for their inflammatory comments about the occupied West Bank as well as their positions on the war in Gaza.
The sanctions are being jointly implemented by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the UK, according to a joint statement by the five countries’ foreign ministers.
“We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution which is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,” the joint statement said.
Greta Thunberg sits in a plane, in a location given as Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday.
“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous,” the statement added. “We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity.”
The sanctions imposed by the five Western nations represent a break in policy with the United States. While European and Commonwealth allies have increasingly put pressure on Netanyahu’s government, the Trump administration has repeatedly reaffirmed the US-Israel alliance. Washington has also called for the conflict in Gaza to end, but last week, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the sanctions, saying the actions “do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.”
He said that the US rejected “any notion of equivalence” between the Israeli government and Hamas and “we remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is.” Rubio added, “The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”
While the sanctions are in relation to the West Bank, the Western allies’ joint statement added that “of course this cannot be seen in isolation from the catastrophe in Gaza. We continue to be appalled by the immense suffering of civilians, including the denial of essential aid.”