From: BBC June 11, 2025 US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also strongly criticised US allies for sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank.
The sanctioning of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was part of a joint move announced by the UK, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Tuesday.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Israeli officials had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights". The men were banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK frozen.
Israel registered strong objections to the move, and Huckabee called it a "shocking decision".
he said: I have not yet heard a good reason for why these two elected ministers have been sanctioned by countries that ought to respect the country's sovereignty and recognise that they have not conducted any criminal activity,"
