European governments are pressing the EU to sanction Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after he called for the nightly killing of 30 to 40 Palestinians in Gaza. Germany’s CDU/CSU foreign affairs spokesman Jürgen Hardt and 29 members of the European Parliament have urged listing the minister under the bloc’s global human rights sanctions regime, while Italy formally requested that the EU consider punitive measures. The European Commission confirmed that a proposal to target Ben-Gvir is under review by the Council.
The diplomatic fallout extends beyond Brussels. Slovenia banned both Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from its territory in July 2025, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert branded the pair "terrorists" in May. Britain’s Chatham House think-tank said Ben-Gvir’s remarks amount to advocating war crimes.
Ben-Gvir, convicted in 2007 of incitement to racism, briefly quit Netanyahu’s coalition over a ceasefire before returning when large-scale operations resumed.