Israeli "Extremist" Ministers Face Pressure to Impose EU Sanctions

SadaNews Translation - EU countries will be asked to support sanctions against Israeli politicians accused of violating the rights of foreign activists detained as part of the Freedom Flotilla attempt to reach Gaza.

For the first time, capitals are set to consider imposing these restrictions on senior officials in the Israeli government, ahead of a leaders' meeting at the European Council on June 18 and 19, according to a draft document prepared by officials and obtained by Politico.

Ambassadors from the 27 member states will discuss these proposals on Wednesday, as Brussels seeks a unified stance on this contentious issue, which requires unanimous agreement to move forward, according to SadaNews translation. The Czech government has pledged to block the imposition of sanctions on Israeli government ministers.

"We need to listen to all parties' views before reaching a final agreement," warned an EU official who requested anonymity to speak frankly.

Several EU countries have called for sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for mocking activists who were detained while attempting to circumvent the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza in May. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked Ben Gvir after a video of the incident surfaced, stating that the minister's behavior "does not align with Israel's values and standards."

The draft statement reads: "The European Council condemns the mistreatment of detainees following the interception of the Global Solidarity Flotilla in international waters. The Council calls for moving forward with restrictive measures against extremist ministers who incite and promote these human rights violations."

It is worth noting that Ben Gvir has previously faced sanctions from the UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand due to his rhetoric regarding Palestinians.