AFP – European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said yesterday he will urge the bloc’s 27 member states yesterday to back sanctions on Israeli ministers accused of fomenting “hatred” towards Palestinians.
“I initiated the procedures in order to ask the member states… if they consider appropriate, including in our list of sanctions some Israeli ministers (who have) been launching unacceptable hate messages against the Palestinians,” Borrell told reporters.
Speaking at the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Borrell said the individuals targeted had made statements that go “clearly against international law and is an incitation to commit war crimes”.
“I think that the EU has not to have taboos in order to use our toolbox – in order to make humane law respected,” Borrell said.
According to diplomats, Borrell’s proposal targets Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and its national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, both outspoken figures on the far right.
Smotrich has triggered international uproar by suggesting it would be justified to starve two million Gazans to free Israeli captives in the Palestinian territory, while Ben Gvir has been called out over a string of inflammatory actions and comments.
