US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday denounced the decision by five Western governments to sanction far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

The statement largely reiterated one made earlier by US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, but also included a call from Rubio for United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia to reverse their decision.

“These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home and end the war,” Rubio said.

The secretary’s statement focused on Gaza, but the British-led move to freeze assets and bar the entry of the two ministers came in response to Israel’s policies in the West Bank, where the countries said Smotrich and Ben Gvir have incited extremist violence against Palestinians.

Settler attacks have been taking place there unchecked on a near-daily basis and the head of the police’s West Bank division is currently under investigation for turning a blind eye in order to curry favor with Ben Gvir, the police minister.

“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.........

© The Times of Israel