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Facing rising pressure over the acute suffering of civilians in Gaza, the British government is considering sanctions on two far-right ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
May 29, 2025, 12:01 a.m. ET
Britain has hardened its position toward Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza. But as it weighs the next possible step — imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers — it confronts a complex landscape, not least because of the recent deadly shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has been mulling sanctions against two far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, for months — a proposal first floated by David Cameron, a foreign secretary in the previous Conservative government. But it has still not decided whether to go ahead, according to several officials.
Momentum toward the sanctions had accelerated in recent weeks, after Britain joined France and Canada in condemning Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza. British officials encountered little resistance to the idea of sanctions from the United States, where President Trump has also turned critical of Israel, warning that he wanted to “stop that whole situation as quickly as possible.”
Still, the fatal attack on the two embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, by a pro-Palestinian gunman outside a Jewish museum has given pause to some British officials, who question whether this is the right moment to punish senior Israeli leaders, according to one diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
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Britain now seems likely to wait to see if Israel will allow a measurable increase in aid to Gaza, according to officials. If the situation in the Gaza Strip improves, it could further defer a decision on whether to blacklist Mr. Ben-Gvir and Mr. Smotrich, who favor relocating Palestinians outside of Gaza, which would be a grave breach of international law.
