The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigration condemned in a statement Smotrich’s refusal to allow Israeli banks to cooperate with sanctions imposed by the US administration on several radical settlers.

Faced with a wave of international pressure, the White House adopted some measures against several extremists in the settlements who were accused of attacking Palestinian civilians.

Channel 12 reported that Bank Leumi froze an account of one of the four sanctioned individuals, fearing legal repercussions, but the finance minister intervened.

Smotrich called the the Bank of Israel to explain that Israel’s law does not oblige banks to freeze accounts of sanctioned individuals’ .

In response, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the world to take legal action against Israel’s ultra-right extremists in power.

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