National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that if the Biden administration imposes sanctions on Israeli government ministers, Israel will respond by “completely dismantling the Palestinian Authority, including all of its institutions and economy.”
In response to recent reports that the Biden administration is considering imposing sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister Ben-Gvir issued a strongly worded statement Saturday condemning the possible move. The administration’s frustration with the Israeli government’s policy of expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the ministers’ support for such actions have led to discussions about escalating the measures against them.
According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, who cites three senior US officials, the White House National Security Council held a major meeting last week to discuss these potential sanctions. The Biden administration holds Smotrich and Ben-Gvir responsible for the security breach in Judea and Samaria and for the conduct of the government’s policies in these regions.
Minister Ben-Gvir said: “The report that the Biden administration is considering imposing sanctions on me and the Minister of Finance is serious. The mere imposition of sanctions on Israeli citizens by the American administration, which has already begun, constitutes a serious violation of Israeli sovereignty.”
He also criticized the Biden administration’s approach, saying: “It is no wonder that those who show leniency to the armed wing of global terrorism in Tehran, fund terrorist regimes like the Palestinian Authority that reward those who murder Jews with regular salaries, and prevent Israel from obtaining critical weapons to fight terrorism, seek to impose sanctions on Israeli leaders who have ‘sinned’ by demanding a more decisive war on terrorism.”
The sanctions review follows the Knesset’s decision to accelerate planning and construction of 5,000 additional settlement housing units and legalize five outposts. Earlier this year, when U.S. President Joe Biden signed a new executive order sanctioning certain settlers, White House officials had advised targeting Smotrich and Ben-Gvir specifically. However, Biden initially rejected that proposal, arguing that the United States should not impose sanctions on elected officials from democratic countries.
Sanctions have since been imposed on some of Smotrich’s and Ben-Gvir’s supporters and associates, but not on the ministers themselves. Today, many Biden administration officials believe the issue should be revisited. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew suggested engaging Smotrich first to try to change his behavior, but stressed that no decision has yet been made.
ICJ Decision
The decision comes as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a ruling in The Hague on Friday declaring that “Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal.” The decision has been sharply criticized by Israeli officials, who say it mixes political and legal issues and does not contribute to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Several Israeli ministers, including Orit Strock, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, reacted on social media, calling for “sovereignty now.” Ben-Gvir added: “The decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague proves once again that this is a decidedly anti-Semitic and political organization. We will not accept moral preaching from them. It is time to govern and assert sovereignty.”
