For June 10, five countries – UK, Canada, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand – announce sanctions against two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Dem tok say di sanctions na because of di ministers' “repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities” wey dey for di occupied territories.

For dia joint statement, dem talk say, “Settler violence dey incited by extremist rhetoric wey dey call for Palestinians to comot from dia houses, dey encourage violence and human rights abuse... Settler violence don cause di death of Palestinian civilians and displacement of whole communities.”

But e be like say di sanctions no dey really about di thousands of Palestinian civilian deaths—wey include women and pikin—or di genocidal plans behind Israeli policies, but na because dem dey worry about di Zionist regime image wey dey spoil for di world.

Di statement talk say, “Today’s measures dey target individuals wey, for our view, dey undermine Israel’s own security and di way di world dey see dem.”

Even though some people fit see am as better step, if you look well, e be like say na just political move to calm di public wey dey vex. E no really address di deeper wahala wey dey ground.

No be new thing

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich no be new wahala; dem just be di loudest and unapologetic faces of di ideology wey don dey guide Israeli policy for years.

For early 2023, as Smotrich dey serve as finance minister and di defence ministry official wey dey oversee settlements, e bring back him “decisive plan” wey e call solution to di “Palestinian demographic threat” to di Zionist project of Greater Israel.

Smotrich no send wetin international norms or public dey talk. E dey repeat him plan for every speech and public event. Di plan give Palestinians three wicked options: apartheid, forced expulsion or emigration, or death.

As minister, Smotrich start aggressive settlement expansion plan to reach one million illegal settlers for di occupied West Bank—wey don already get 750,000—within few years.

Him strategy clear: “Facts on di ground go kill aspirations and defeat ambitions,” e talk. “Nothing go affect di Arabs of Judea and Samaria [di occupied West Bank] pass to show say e no possible to create another Arab state west of di [River] Jordan.”

For March 2023, when Smotrich travel go France, e deny di existence of Palestinian people, dey talk like Nazi ideology. “Palestinian history no dey. Palestinian language no dey,” e talk. Behind am, dem put map of “Greater Israel,” wey include di occupied West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir, as minister of national security, dey arm thousands of Jewish settlers for di occupied West Bank to increase violence and oppress Palestinians.

E lead provocative visits enter Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for Jerusalem, dey call for di construction of di Third Temple for di place.

Ben-Gvir also bring strict measures against Palestinian prisoners—e stop family visits, reduce food, block education, and limit communal prayers—undoing di rights wey detainees don fight for inside Israeli prison system.

For one visit to di occupied West Bank for 2023, Ben-Gvir talk say him right and him family own to waka freely for di area dey more important pass di freedom of movement for Palestinians. “My right, di right of my wife and my pikin to waka around Judea and Samaria dey more important pass freedom of movement for di Arabs,” e talk.

Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir na Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handpick dem to form wetin people dey call di most far-right government for Israel history. Dem no just be coalition partners; dem be ideological allies, sometimes even more extreme pass Netanyahu himself.

Since di events of October 7, 2023, di Israeli government don increase dia rhetoric and actions. Amichai Eliyahu, minister of heritage and member of Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, even talk say make dem destroy Gaza with nuclear bomb.

Even though dem no use nuclear bomb, di Israeli regime don start campaign wey destroy Gaza civilian life for over 20 months. Dem also block Gaza completely for over three months, cut food, water, medicine, fuel, and other essentials—wey people don condemn as collective punishment.

Throughout di attack on Gaza, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir dey support di destruction, dey call for di elimination of Gaza people and infrastructure, di forced expulsion of di population, and resettlement by Israelis.

Why targeting individuals no go solve di bigger wahala

Di kind open calls for ethnic cleansing and war crimes dey create big problem for Western governments wey dey support di Zionist regime, even as di genocidal campaign don continue for over 600 days.

For di world, millions of people don dey protest for big cities to condemn wetin dem see as genocide, wey dem believe say dia governments dey support.

Di International Court of Justice (ICJ) don find case of genocide for Gaza, and di International Criminal Court (ICC) don issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes over six months ago.

As di Zionist regime don turn di most hated country for di world and dey face global condemnation, even dia strongest allies for di West dey find am hard to justify dia support. But public pressure dey increase.

If di five governments really care about ending genocide, stopping starvation, or upholding international law and human rights, dem for don put di whole Israeli cabinet—or di Zionist state itself—under strong sanctions until dem dismantle dia apartheid structures.

Sadly, di governments no dey address di root cause of di crisis. Di late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, after e visit di occupied Palestinian territories, talk say: “I don see di racially segregated roads and housing wey remind me of wetin we experience for South Africa under Apartheid.”