Who are Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli ministers facing sanctions?

Far-right politicians subject to action from UK and others are both crucial to Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition

The two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers facing sanctions from the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway are critical to the political survival of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In 2022 Netanyahu formed the most rightwing government in Israel’s history, brokering a coalition with Bezalel Smotrich, whose Religious Zionism party has 14 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose Jewish Power party has six seats.

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