Borrell asks EU to consider sanctions on 2 Israeli ministers

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday he has asked the bloc's members to consider imposing sanctions on two Israeli ministers for "hate messages" against Palestinians, messages that he said broke international law.

He did not name either of the ministers. But in recent weeks he has publicly criticised Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for statements he has described as "sinister" and "an incitement to war crimes".

Borrell said EU foreign ministers held an initial discussion about his proposal at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday. He said there was no unanimity - which would be required to impose sanctions - but the debate would continue.

"The ministers will decide. It's up to them, as always. But the process has been launched," he told reporters.

He said he had proposed that the Israeli ministers be sanctioned for violations of human rights. EU sanctions generally mean a ban on travel to the bloc and a freeze on assets held in the EU.

Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz accused Borrell of targeting him with false claims that he had called for Palestinians to be displaced from the West Bank. "I oppose the displacement of any population from their homes," he said.

Diplomats say it is unlikely the EU would find the necessary unanimous agreement among its 27 members to impose sanctions on Israeli government ministers.

But Borrell's decision to float such a proposal indicates the level of anger among some European officials over the words and actions of some far-right Israeli ministers.

Even ministers from some countries that are strong allies of Israel, such as Germany and the Czech Republic, did not immediately shut down the sanctions discussion in comments to reporters on the sidelines of Thursday's meeting.

Ireland, one of the EU's most pro-Palestinian members, said it backed Borrell's suggestion.

"We will be supporting Josep Borrell's recommendation for sanctions in respect of settler organisations in the West Bank who are facilitating (the) expansion of settlements, and also to Israeli ministers," Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said.

But Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani dismissed the idea.

"We have to resolve the problems, convince the Israelis to make the choices that will lead to a ceasefire in Gaza," he said. "This is the real priority."

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Andrew Gray; Additional reporting by Maytaal Angel; Editing by David Gregorio)