Italy calls for EU sanctions against Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir

On 2026-05-21, Italy formally requested that the European Union consider sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over his treatment of activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he asked EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to put the sanctions proposal on the agenda of the next EU foreign ministers' discussion in Brussels.