U.S. condemns Canada, allies over move to sanction two far-right Israeli ministers
Canada is joining the U.K. in sanctioning two Israeli ministers over comments they made about Gaza.
The United States is condemning Canada and other countries over sanctions imposed Tuesday on two far-right Israeli ministers for comments they say incite “violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.”
“These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “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. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is.”
Rubio is also urging countries to reverse the measures.
Earlier Tuesday, a senior government source told CTV News that Canada will impose a travel ban on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as well as freeze any assets. Foreign ministers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom later released a joint statement claiming Ben-Gvir and Smotrich “have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.”
“These actions are not acceptable. We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity. This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account,” the statement goes on to say.
