Germany pushes EU to sanction Israeli minister after appeal to kill “30 to 40” Gazans nightly

Germany’s CDU/CSU-SPD government has called on the European Union to sanction Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his “inhumane” appeal to kill 30 to 40 Palestinians nightly.

Germany calls for sanctions on Ben-Gvir

Foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU, Jürgen Hardt, has said Ben-Gvir’s “inhumane” statements should be condemned and that the EU should “sanction him as a sign of the universal validity of human dignity and human rights”.

Speaking on the October 8 podcast, Israel’s national security minister called for “targeted killings” of Palestinian civilians to be carried out in Gaza to “remove 30, 40 [people] every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat. No, there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people.”

Foreign policy spokesperson for the SPD, Adis Ahmetović, hopes the German government will also appeal for EU sanctions on Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has previously called for Gaza to be “entirely destroyed”. 

Hardt added that expelling Ben-Gvir and Smotrich from government would likely bring European governments and the Israeli government closer together.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany has also publicly distanced itself from the Israeli minister. “[Ben-Gvir’s] inhuman statements” are “diametrically opposed to Jewish values and damage Israel’s reputation” and “deeply shameful and irresponsible”, President Josef Schuster told news agency KNA. 

Ben-Gvir condemned for flotilla video

This is not the first time that Ben-Gvir’s behaviour has sparked criticism from European governments allied with the Israeli government. Back in May, the Guardian reported that Ben-Gvir had sparked a “diplomatic crisis” after he posted a video of IDF soldiers severely mistreating flotilla activists detained in Israel.

The video showed Ben-Gvir waving an Israeli flag, taunting and shouting at flotilla activists cuffed and kneeling with their faces to the ground while surrounded by masked, armed soldiers.

“They came here with the pride of heroes, look at them now. I tell Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long, long time,” Ben-Gvir told the camera. 

Multiple EU leaders, including German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), condemned the video, while France and Poland placed an entry ban on Ben-Gvir.

After intercepting the flotilla in international waters, the Israeli government detained around 400 people from 44 countries attempting to sail to Gaza with aid supplies.

In December 2025, 25-year-old Anna Liedtke, a flotilla member from Cologne, became the first detainee to speak publicly about being raped during her detention in Israel. More than a dozen detainees have now reported sexual assault by IDF soldiers.

“Sexual violence and rape are recurring violations that have been perpetrated against Palestinian prisoners for nearly three years,” Liedtke told the Guardian. “We are now seeing an escalation where Israel is prepared to expand this conduct to foreign citizens acting in solidarity with Palestinians.”

EU foreign ministers will meet in Ireland on September 1 and 2, where possible sanctions and entry bans for Ben-Gvir are likely to be discussed further.