“I believe that targeted killings should be carried out in Gaza,” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Monday, August 17, sparking global outrage. The hardline minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government stated how he envisions this: "Between 30 and 40 Palestinians should be killed every night." Ben Ghafkir stressed that he does not mean only armed Palestinians who pose a direct threat. He added that there are people (in the Gaza Strip) who "do not deserve to live. They are not even human."
The German government warns against annexing more lands in the West Bank
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (from the Christian Democratic Party) condemned the controversial Israeli politician's statements. A government spokesman in Berlin said, “The Chancellor strongly condemns Minister Ben Gvir’s calls, which are insulting to humanity and in violation of international law,” stressing that they are unacceptable. As for Chancellor Meretz, he is currently on leave.
The government spokesman, on behalf of the Chancellor, also criticized Israel's plans to accelerate the pace of settlement expansion in the West Bank. He said that Meretz is following "with great concern" the recent steps taken by the Israeli government. The spokesman added that there should be no further annexation steps: “Israel, as the occupying power, must treat the Palestinians humanely, protect their property, and guarantee public administration and humanitarian supplies.”
Vice Chancellor Klingbeil: “Ben Gvir has crossed the line”
On Tuesday, Meretz's deputy, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (from the Social Democratic Party), called for disciplinary measures to be taken. “These are statements that we, as a federal government, cannot accept in any way,” he told Sat 1 TV. He added that sanctions are being discussed at the European level: “Imposing sanctions must now be considered very seriously.” According to him, Germany must not remain silent, despite all its solidarity with the State of Israel. He said that Ben Gvir "crossed the line."
German Member of the European Parliament, Hildegard Benthle (from the Christian Democratic Party), also supported imposing sanctions on Israeli Security Minister Ben Gvir. She said in an interview with the Deutsche Welle program in English that she had requested this a year ago. The Christian Democratic representative stressed that "killing individuals is unacceptable to us in Europe."
Many countries imposed a ban on Ben Gvir from entering their territories
The Catholic News Agency (KNA) also described Ben Gvir in an article about him as likely "the most extreme figure" in the Israeli government. She stated that the Israeli Minister of Security is considered a controversial person at the international level because of his racist, religious fundamentalist, and extremist nationalist views. For this reason, many countries have imposed sanctions on Ben Gvir and banned entry to their territories, including Australia, France, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for the Christian Union parliamentary bloc in the German Parliament (Bundestag), also supported the European Union's call to impose sanctions on Ben Gvir. Regarding this, he told Politico magazine: “The European Union must impose sanctions on Ben Gvir,” referring to the universality of human dignity and human rights. He added that he is convinced that an Israeli government without Ben Gvir can contribute to restoring rapprochement between Europe and Israel.
The opposition demands sanctions and a halt to arms exports
The opposition Green Party in the German parliament is also demanding tough measures: Party leader Franziska Brantner told Politico magazine: “I call on the German government to impose a ban on this man’s entry into Germany and to work towards punishing him at the European level with similar sanctions.”
The Green Party politician confirmed that this is not the first time that Ben Gvir has drawn attention with his measured calls for the use of violence against the Palestinians. She also called for other countries to follow suit and impose sanctions on him. “It is time for Germany to join these countries,” she said. In addition, Lea Reisner, an opposition politician from the Left Party, called on Deutschlandfunk radio to stop all arms exports to Israel.
Joseph Schuster: 'Extremely shameful and irresponsible'
For its part, the Central Council of Jews in Germany denounced Ben Gvir's call for mass killings of Palestinians. Council President Joseph Schuster told the Catholic News Agency that Ben Gvir's statements are completely inconsistent with Jewish values and harm Israel's reputation. He added, "Itamar Ben Gvir's behavior is extremely shameful and irresponsible." "It embodies the danger posed by far-right forces."
On the social media platform "Threads", the head of the Evangelical Church Council in Germany (EKD), Christine Wiers, described Ben Gvir's statements as "an attack on humanity." Werz, who holds the position of Archbishop of Hamburg-Lübeck, stressed the need to prevail beyond religious affiliations, the conviction that every human being has an inalienable dignity, because he is created in the image of God. And that "no one can give or take away this dignity."
