Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli has called on the British government to rescind newly announced sanctions against several Israeli organizations, arguing that the measures were imposed without due process and constitute an inappropriate intrusion into Israel's sovereign affairs.
In a letter sent to British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chikli expressed his "strongest protest" over the sanctions announced by the UK on June 9, describing the decision as "deeply troubling both in substance and in process."
The minister said the sanctions were imposed "without meaningful engagement with the Government of Israel, without consultation with the competent Israeli authorities, and without providing the affected organizations any opportunity to respond to the allegations made against them. Such conduct falls short of the standards of fairness and transparency," he wrote.
Chikli defended the organizations targeted by the sanctions, including Artzenu and the Farms Associations, describing them as "lawful entities established and operating under Israeli law." He noted that the groups are subject to oversight by Israeli authorities, including the Registrar of Associations and the Ministry of Justice, and that some receive support from government ministries for activities conducted in accordance with Israeli law.
The minister argued that the sanctions effectively challenge the legitimacy of Israel's own institutions.
"By choosing to sanction these organizations, the United Kingdom is not merely taking action against private entities," Chikli wrote. "It is effectively passing judgment on the institutions of the State of Israel itself and undermining the authority of Israel's legal and regulatory framework. Britain is substituting its own judgment for that of Israel's competent authorities" and said the move amounted to interference in matters that "fall exclusively within Israel's sovereign domestic jurisdiction."
Chikli also criticized what he described as the lack of a transparent evidentiary process behind the sanctions.
"The decision is particularly concerning given the absence of any transparent evidentiary process," he wrote. "Sanctions are among the most severe tools available to governments and should not be employed on the basis of untested allegations, politically motivated claims, or information that has not been properly scrutinized with the relevant authorities."
The minister warned against what he called a growing effort by some international actors to target Israeli civil society groups.
"I am especially concerned by the growing tendency among certain international actors to delegitimize Israeli civil society organizations whose activities are entirely lawful under Israeli law," he wrote.
According to Chikli, "such measures do not advance peace, stability, or human rights. Rather, they deepen divisions, erode trust, and create discriminatory treatment toward Israeli organizations and institutions."
In the letter, Chikli called on the British government to immediately suspend implementation of the sanctions, provide Israel with the full evidentiary basis for the designations, allow the affected organizations to respond to the allegations against them, and consult directly with the Israeli government before taking any further action.
"I urge the Government of the United Kingdom to reverse this decision without delay, rescind the sanctions imposed on these Israeli organizations, and return to the principles of dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation that should guide the relations between our two countries," Chikli wrote.
The British government has not publicly responded to the letter.