Australia has joined the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway in imposing sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing their roles in inciting violence against Palestinians and undermining human rights in the West Bank.
The sanctions, announced by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, include travel bans and asset freezes targeting the ministers’ alleged promotion of settler violence and extremist rhetoric. Wong emphasized that these actions contribute to instability and human rights abuses in the region, and reiterated Australia’s support for a two-state solution.
The move has drawn criticism from Israeli officials and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who labeled the sanctions as counterproductive to peace efforts. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the measures as unacceptable and indicated that Israel would respond accordingly.
This coordinated international action reflects growing concern over policies threatening regional stability and the viability of a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.