Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich banned from entering France

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been banned from entering France, the French Foreign Ministry announced, citing that Smotrich, a figure on the far-right in Israel, "promotes the annexation of the West Bank."

"Smotrich is actively promoting the annexation of the West Bank, the creation of new settlements in the West Bank and the economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority, a policy that the vast majority of the international community, firmly committed to the two-state solution, cannot accept," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on the X social network on Tuesday evening.

The French Foreign Ministry stated that "violent extremist settlers, supported by their supporters, continue to carry out attacks against Palestinians and violate their human rights."

"They resort to violence to displace Palestinians, destroy their property and continue illegal settlement activities," the statement said.

It added that "for too long, violent settlers have operated with near impunity while settlement expansion and the establishment of outposts continue with the support and assistance of the Israeli government."

"In some cases, settlers commit violence under the protection of Israeli security forces. We remain prepared to take further measures if the Israeli government does not act quickly to resolve the situation on the ground," the statement said.

The ban on Smotrich was also imposed by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway as part of new sanctions against those "responsible for intensifying settlement activities and violence in the West Bank."

On May 23, France imposed an entry ban on Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir because he insulted and humiliated arrested activists of the international humanitarian flotilla "Sumud" for the Gaza Strip, which was stopped in the Mediterranean Sea by the Israeli Navy.

An Israeli minister, a member of an ultranationalist party, insulted the activists, including French citizens, as they knelt with their hands tied.