France on Saturday banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering French territory following his treatment of activists detained while attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
“As of this day, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from accessing French territory,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced in a social media post. “This decision follows his unacceptable actions toward French and European citizens aboard the Global Sumud flotilla.”
The far-right Israeli minister came under fire Wednesday after posting a video on X appearing to taunt flotilla activists while they were being forced to kneel with their hands tied behind their backs.
The activists have since said they have been mistreated at the hands of Israeli soldiers, describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs. Israel has denied mistreatment, calling the allegations “false and entirely without factual basis.”
With his statement, Barrot joined a growing chorus of European leaders who are calling for EU sanctions against Ben-Gvir.
“Like my Italian colleague, I call on the European Union to also impose sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir,” Barrot said in the social media post.
But Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka on Wednesday vowed to block sanctions on Israeli government ministers, which require unanimity among the EU’s 27 member states.
Last year Ben-Gvir was sanctioned by the U.K., Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand over what those governments described as his repeated incitement of violence against Palestinians.
