Australian PM Says US-Israeli Criticism Against Ben And Smotrich Sanctions Is Predicted

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. (Twitter/@AlboMP)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the criticism of the United States and Israel over the sanctions imposed on two far-right ministers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Administration was "predictable" and the two people were considered to be blocking a two-state solution.

Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Norway in coordinated action imposed sanctions on Tuesday on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly resulting in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

In his response, Foreign Minister Marco Rubiio wrote on X that the US condemned the move, while Israel said action by the five countries and their government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese said responses from Israel and the US were "predictable".

"The Israeli government needs to uphold its obligations under international law and some of the expansionist rhetoric we have seen are also clearly against the rhetoric of the hardline right-wing member of the Netanyahu administration," PM Albanese said on Wednesday in an interview with ABC Radio Sydney. June 11th.

Comments from the two men "have helped what is a serious challenge for the two-state solution," added PM Albanese.

The sanctions freeze assets and impose travel bans on Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich, both West Bank settlers, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

"We, along with other countries and the wider international community, believe that we can only see peace in the Middle East as we dream of two countries and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security," he explained in a television interview with Seven.

Separately, Israel's Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, wrote on X on Wednesday that the sanctions were "very concerning and totally unacceptable".