Czech Republic Says It Will Block Any EU Sanctions on Ben Gvir

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has made clear to his European Union partners that his country will block any proposal to impose sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. According to him, such a move would only boost the minister’s popularity in Israel.

The firm opposition came amid EU discussions over Ben Gvir’s treatment of the Gaza-bound flotilla and maritime aid activists. In an interview with Bloomberg, Lipavský said he told his EU counterparts, "Even don’t try, because we will block it," if such a proposal is brought forward before Israel’s elections.

He said sanctions on Ben Gvir would have the opposite of the intended effect. "Such a move would only strengthen Ben Gvir’s popularity in Israel and give him a political boost," the Czech foreign minister argued. He stressed that the Czech Republic would stand in the way of any attempt to pass such a decision in the EU Council, where unanimous approval from all member states is required.

The Czech opposition comes against the backdrop of a wave of European sanctions against Israel in recent months. As we reported in Kikar HaShabbat, France only this week imposed a travel ban on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, along with dozens of settlers. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Smotrich is "actively promoting the annexation of the West Bank."

The tensions surrounding National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir escalated after he posted a video showing him mocking activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla who tried to reach Gaza. The video sparked outrage around the world, and as we reported, Italy even opened a criminal investigation against the minister following the incident. Pro-Palestinian organizations and international law experts appealed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, asking it to expand the existing investigation into the situation in the Palestinian territories to include the flotilla events as well. They argued that some of the activists reported abuse and beatings during their detention.