German Politicians Demand EU Sanctions Against Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Over Gaza Remarks

German politicians are demanding European Union sanctions against Israel's far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following his inflammatory remarks about Palestinians in Gaza. Ben-Gvir, who holds extreme right-wing views, suggested in a podcast that Israel should carry out targeted killings of 30 to 40 people in Gaza every night, even if they do not pose an immediate threat.

Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, urged the EU to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir. "Ben-Gvir's inhumane statements can only be condemned by every person. The EU should sanction him as a sign of the universal validity of human dignity and human rights," Hardt told the news portal Politico. He also expressed confidence that a future Israeli cabinet without Ben-Gvir would help bring Europe and Israel closer together.

Lea Reisner, a politician from the Left Party, called on the German government to immediately halt all arms exports to Israel. Reisner also stated that the association agreement between the EU and Israel should be suspended. Meanwhile, criticism of Ben-Gvir's statements has also emerged from Jewish communities in Austria. Elie Rosen, president of the Jewish Community for Salzburg, Styria, and Carinthia, described Ben-Gvir as "a disgrace to the entire Jewish people and a disgrace to the State of Israel." He urged the Israeli government to take visible consequences and remove Ben-Gvir from the cabinet.

Ben-Gvir's statements, which advocate for mass killings in the Gaza Strip, have been echoed by other far-right Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich asserted that there is "no other solution" than the complete conquest of Gaza. These calls for violence come shortly before new mediation talks aimed at ending the conflict in the region.

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