EU Aims to Isolate Israeli Hardliners with Targeted Sanctions

The European Union’s latest proposal over the Gaza war features a highly specific strategy: isolating political hardliners by targeting them with individual sanctions. By naming National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the EU is sending a clear message that it holds them, along with Israeli settlers, particularly responsible for policies it opposes.
This approach marks a departure from broader, state-level actions. Instead of simply sanctioning Israel as a whole, the EU is attempting to apply pressure on specific members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet. The goal appears to be to create internal political pressure within Israel and signal disapproval of the far-right influence on government policy.
The sanctions would be personally damaging, preventing the ministers and other designated individuals from traveling to the EU or accessing any assets held within the bloc. European officials have noted that the “increasingly violent settlement activity in the West Bank spearheaded by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich” provided “new momentum” for these targeted actions.
This strategy allows the EU to maintain that its issue is with the current Israeli government’s course of action, not the Israeli people. As foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated, the measures are intended to “pressure (the) Israeli government to change course.” This distinguishes the sanctions from a wider economic punishment.
However, this targeted approach is not without risks. Israel has presented a unified front in its rejection of the EU’s plan, with the foreign minister defending the entire government’s position. The move could either succeed in isolating the ministers or backfire by causing Israeli politicians to rally around their sanctioned colleagues in defiance of external pressure.