Secretary of State Marco Rubio knocked U.S. allies on Tuesday for sanctioning Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir amid the war in Gaza.
Five countries — United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia — said the sanctions are not targeting the Israeli people but individuals who are using their leadership positions to “actively undermine peace and security” and remove prospects for a two-state solution.
Rubio argued the sanctions “do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.”
“We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace,” he added in his statement.
Rubio’s statement comes after State Department officials announced its decision to sanction five individuals and five charities tied to Hamas.
“The United States will use all available tools to prevent abuse of the non-profit sector for the benefit of terrorist groups like Hamas and the PFLP [Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine],” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
“We are committed to ensuring humanitarian aid can in fact be delivered by reliable and safe organizations,” she added.
However, officials from the U.K., Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia said sanctions against Israeli officials are warranted and have also placed travel bans on them.
“Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have severely and deliberately undermined that by personally advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal settlements, while inciting violence and forced displacement,” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a Wednesday statement.
“New Zealand’s consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution,” he added.
The countries said they will continue to advocate for an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East peace process.
