Smotrich calls for expulsion of British ambassador over expected sanctions

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded the immediate removal of the UK's ambassador to Israel on Monday night, after reports emerged that the UK intended to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Smotrich expressed his outrage on X/Twitter, stating that the British Mandate in the Land of Israel was no longer valid.

He warned that Israel would not be a humiliated pawn of an anti-Semitic government, and labeled the UK as a nation conquered by radical Islam, attempting to save itself from economic and social decline by targeting Jews and the State of Israel.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also reacted to the UK's potential settlement trade ban by suggesting that Israel should recognize the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory under occupation. Ben-Gvir argued that the British were not merely occupying the Falkland Islands but were also drilling for oil there and stealing money from the Argentine people. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to acknowledge Argentina's sovereignty over the islands and impose sanctions on Britain until the occupation ceased.

Earlier on Monday, unnamed sources provided The Jerusalem Post with information about the UK's plans to impose a ban on trade with settlements in Israel. The announcement was expected to be made in Parliament on Tuesday, during an afternoon session following a debate on Jewish safety in Westminster Hall. The proposed measures may encompass a prohibition on goods produced in Israeli settlements and targeted sanctions against British entities and individuals.