Pro-Israel Organization Praises Secretary Rubio’s Rebuke of Sanctions on Israeli Cabinet Ministers

By: Fern Sidman

In a sharply worded response to a coordinated international move that has drawn significant controversy, Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI), a leading pro-Israel advocacy group, has issued strong praise for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s unequivocal condemnation of sanctions imposed on two Israeli cabinet ministers by several Western allies. The move, announced jointly by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom, has been met with outrage among supporters of Israel, with critics denouncing the sanctions as an affront to Israeli democracy and sovereignty.

AFSI, which has long served as a vocal defender of Israel’s right to self-determination and security, did not mince words. Calling the sanctions “wrong and immoral,” AFSI Chairman Moshe Phillips accused the foreign ministers of participating in what he described as “the worst kind of both sideing,” drawing a false moral equivalence between Israeli leaders and the incitement emanating for decades from the Palestinian Authority.

In his June 10 statement, Secretary Rubio echoed these concerns, stating plainly that the United States “condemns the sanctions” and “urges the reversal of the sanctions.” He added pointedly: “We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is.”

For Rubio, the issue is not merely symbolic. The sanctions specifically target Israeli cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — both of whom have faced death threats from Palestinian terrorist factions. The sanctions, which are ostensibly aimed at what the foreign ministers claim is “undermining the viability of a two-state solution,” have raised red flags among observers who argue that punishing elected officials of a sovereign democratic nation sets a dangerous precedent.

AFSI Chairman Phillips was particularly critical of what he framed as Western attempts to dictate Israeli policy and settlement rights in Judea and Samaria. “What is also alarming,” he said, “is that the foreign ministers have chosen to condemn Jewish families for living in historically Jewish areas and are attempting to dictate to Israelis what they need to do to safeguard their nation’s future.”

Phillips further called attention to the disconnect between Western diplomatic elites and the sentiments of the Israeli public. “Polls in Israel show that over two-thirds of Israelis support extending Israeli sovereignty over these territories,” he noted. “It is immoral for these officials to unilaterally declare where Jews can and cannot build homes for their families in Judea.”

Indeed, as AFSI and other advocacy organizations have emphasized, the international community’s invocation of the two-state solution seems increasingly tone-deaf in the aftermath of the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023 — an attack that fundamentally altered Israeli public opinion and recalibrated the nation’s strategic calculus. Israeli President Isaac Herzog acknowledged this shift earlier this year during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “The idea of the two-state solution is something which, on record, I supported in the past, many times,” Herzog said candidly. “But I had a wake-up call following October 7.”

From AFSI’s perspective, the sanctions represent not merely a diplomatic misjudgment, but a moral failing. Phillips emphasized that both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are more than just political figures — they are targets of violence by Palestinian terrorist groups, and their sanctioning by Western allies sends a deeply troubling message. “That the foreign ministers have now sanctioned these Israelis is immoral and wrong,” he stated, reiterating AFSI’s unambiguous support for Rubio’s stance.

AFSI’s statement comes amid a larger debate over the limits of international influence on Israel’s domestic policy. Supporters of the sanctions argue that Israeli policies regarding settlements undermine prospects for a negotiated peace and fuel further conflict. But critics, including Rubio and AFSI, point to the long-standing incitement and glorification of terrorism by the Palestinian Authority as the more significant obstacle to peace — a view widely shared by a majority of Israelis.

Furthermore, the sanctions arrive at a moment when antisemitic rhetoric and violence are surging globally, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7 atrocities. To punish Israeli leaders at such a moment, AFSI argues, is not only ill-conceived but dangerously out of step with the geopolitical realities on the ground.

AFSI, which was established in 1970 and has remained one of the United States’ most influential grassroots Zionist organizations, emphasized that it does not align itself with any political party in the U.S. or Israel. Instead, its mission is to promote a safe and secure Israel and to counteract the mounting pressure campaigns and misinformation efforts targeting the Jewish state.

In that light, the organization sees Secretary Rubio’s statement as a necessary and courageous intervention. By calling out America’s allies and refusing to accept the false equivalencies often drawn by critics of Israel, Rubio has reminded the world of a crucial truth: Israel’s enemies — not its democratically elected leaders — are the real obstacle to peace.

As the international community continues to grapple with its response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, voices such as AFSI’s — and principled leadership like that of Secretary Rubio — remain essential. In the words of Phillips: “We applaud Secretary Rubio for stating, ‘We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is,’ on the very same day the sanctions were announced.”

In a world where moral clarity is often in short supply, AFSI’s message is as urgent as it is unyielding: Stand with Israel. Reject false equivalence. And never forget who the real enemy is.