France Bars Israeli Security Official Over Gaza Flotilla Row
France banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory following his controversial treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot citing "unspeakable actions" toward French and European citizens.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, announced the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating that “this decision follows his unspeakable actions toward French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla.” The ban takes immediate effect.
Barrot emphasized France’s position on the treatment of its nationals, declaring that the country “cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way – all the more so by a public official.” The French minister called upon the European Union to consider parallel sanctions against Ben-Gvir.
The escalating diplomatic incident stems from videos released this week showing Ben-Gvir’s interactions with approximately 430 detainees from the flotilla. In the footage, Ben-Gvir appears waving an Israeli flag above bound detainees, taunting a kneeling detainee with zip-tied wrists while shouting Hebrew nationalist phrases, and standing among detainees positioned face-down on the ground as the Israeli national anthem plays.
The incident has drawn criticism from multiple quarters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several coalition partners have publicly condemned Ben-Gvir’s conduct captured in the videos. The flotilla activists were attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza when detained.
While Barrot criticized Ben-Gvir’s actions, France also expressed disapproval of the flotilla itself, stating that its approach “produces no useful effect and places an additional burden on diplomatic and consular services.”
Requests for comment from Ben-Gvir’s spokesperson and Netanyahu’s office remain pending.
With information from Breitbart News
