France banned the entry of Israel’s Finance Minister
France announced that it has banned Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister, and a number of settler leaders and activists from entering its territory.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, said this action was coordinated with the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway in response to the escalation of settlement activities and violence in the West Bank.
According to Barrot, in addition to Smotrich, four leaders of settler organizations and 21 settlers have also been banned from entering France.
The French Foreign Minister emphasized that Smotrich has supported the annexation of the West Bank, the expansion of settlements, and the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, and these policies are in contradiction with the two-state solution, which is supported by a large part of the international community.
Smotrich is the second member of the Israeli cabinet to face a ban on entering France in recent months. Previously, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister, was also prohibited from entering France.