France has banned Israel’s far-right Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from getting into its territory, citing his “unspeakable” behaviour of taunting Gaza flotilla activists who had been arrested by Israeli police forces.
“As of as we speak, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from getting into French territory. This resolution follows his unspeakable actions in the direction of French and European residents who had been passengers on the International Sumud Flotilla,” French International Minister Jean-Noel Barrot introduced in a publish on X on Saturday.
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“We can’t tolerate that French nationals could be threatened, intimidated or brutalised on this manner – all of the extra so by a public official,” Barrot mentioned, whereas calling on the European Union to additionally sanction Ben-Gvir.
Ben-Gvir had posted footage on a social media platform exhibiting himself gloating as activists from the flotilla knelt on the ground, blindfolded, with their arms certain, on the port of Ashdod.
The organisers of the International Sumud Flotilla mentioned in a Telegram assertion on Friday that the freed activists reported at the least 15 circumstances of sexual abuse whereas in Israeli detention.
Ben-Gvir is an open admirer of Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli who killed 29 Palestinians as they prayed in Hebron in 1994. He has been convicted a number of occasions by Israeli courts for “incitement to racism”.
Poland has additionally barred Ben-Gvir, asserting a five-year ban on Thursday. “Within the democratic world we don’t abuse and gloat over individuals in custody,” Polish International Minister Radek Sikorski posted.
The French ban comes weeks after the European Union imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and pro-settlement teams.
Ben-Gvir is amongst a number of Israeli leaders and organisations which were briefly or outright banned by international locations within the West, or sanctioned below worldwide regulation since Israel’s genocide in Gaza started in October 2023.
Here’s a listing of different Israeli figures and entities which were barred, penalised or sanctioned lately:
Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
The Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for the Israeli prime minister and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for his or her conduct in Israel’s battle on Gaza.
There are “cheap grounds” to consider that Gallant and Netanyahu “deliberately and knowingly disadvantaged the civilian inhabitants in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, together with meals, water, medication and medical provides, in addition to gas and electrical energy”, it mentioned.
Successfully, the defendants at the moment are internationally needed suspects and ICC member states are below authorized obligation to arrest them.
Days after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7,2023, Gallant introduced a “full siege” on Gaza, saying “we’re combating in opposition to human animals”.
Greater than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its genocidal battle on Gaza. Israeli officers acknowledged the info was broadly correct in January, after casting doubt on its credibility for 2 years.
Genocide students from internationally have described Israeli army motion in Gaza as a genocide.
Bezalel Smotrich
The far-right Finance Minister, along with Ben-Gvir, was banned from getting into Slovenia final July.
The Slovenian authorities accused the pair of inciting “excessive violence and severe violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements”.
Final June, Britain, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Canada imposed sanctions on the 2 Israeli ministers, accusing them of inciting violence in opposition to Palestinians.
Smotrich, who lives in a settlement within the occupied West Financial institution, has supported the enlargement of settlements and has known as for the territory’s annexation.
Settlements are unlawful below worldwide regulation. In July 2024, the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice dominated that Israel’s continued presence in occupied Palestinian territory was illegal, a call Israel has ignored.
Smotrich has beforehand known as for “complete annihilation” in Gaza, and mentioned {that a} Palestinian city within the West Financial institution ought to be “worn out”.
Israeli settlers and settlement teams
Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers and Hamas leaders.
The sanctions goal three Israeli settlers and 4 settler organisations however their identities haven’t been publicly disclosed.
“It was excessive time we transfer from impasse to supply,” EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned in a social media publish following the settlement. “Extremisms and violence carry penalties.”
Excluding occupied East Jerusalem, greater than 500,000 Israelis reside within the occupied West Financial institution in settlements, amongst three million Palestinians.
In 2025, the enlargement of Israeli settlements reached its highest stage since at the least 2017, when the United Nations started monitoring information.
For the reason that begin of Israel’s genocidal battle on Gaza, the West Financial institution has been gripped by virtually every day violence involving Israeli troops and settlers. Greater than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed within the territory, in line with the UN. Practically 40,000 have been displaced resulting from settler violence and Israeli crackdown.
In 2024, former US President Joe Biden issued a flurry of sanctions in opposition to 30 Israeli settlers and teams, together with the highly effective settlement growth organisation, Amana.
Below the phrases of the sanctions, people and entities had been blocked from accessing all US property, belongings, in addition to the US monetary system.
Nonetheless, months later, following the election of US President Donald Trump, the sanctions had been lifted after he signed an government order in January 2025.
