How did Washington respond to the "sanctions" of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich?

"sanctions" of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

How did Washington respond to the "sanctions" of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of Britain, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two Israeli government ministers.

Britain, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia imposed sanctions on the two far-right ministers accused of inciting violence against Palestinians. "These sanctions do nothing to advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, return all hostages to their homes, and end the war," Rubio said in a post on the X platform.

Earlier Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce described the sanctions as "completely unhelpful." During a press conference, Bruce said in response to a question about the unprecedented decision of the five countries: "These sanctions will not bring us closer to a ceasefire in Gaza."

The spokesperson added: "If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's negotiations and supporting the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with regard to food and aid." While Bruce's response focused on Gaza, the British-led move came in response to Israel's policy in the occupied West Bank.

The five countries accused Smotrich and Ben-Gvir of inciting extremist violence against Palestinians, amidst the expansion of settlement activity in the West Bank and the ongoing war in Gaza. The occupied West Bank witnesses almost daily, unchecked settler attacks, often under the watchful eye of Israeli security forces.

Press reports indicate that the head of the West Bank division of the Israeli police is currently under investigation for allegedly ignoring this phenomenon in order to curry favor with Ben-Gvir.