Paris, May 24: France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has announced an immediate ban on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering France.
In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, Barrot stated that the decision was made due to Ben-Gvir’s “unacceptable” actions towards French and European citizens involved in the Gaza-bound “Global Sumud Flotilla.”
According to reports from the Xinhua news agency, Barrot emphasized, “We cannot tolerate any situation where French citizens are threatened, intimidated, or subjected to violence, especially by someone in a public office.”
He also urged the European Union to impose similar sanctions against Ben-Gvir. On Wednesday, members of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, carrying hundreds of people, were brought to Israel’s Ashdod port. During this incident, Ben-Gvir released a video showing some activists handcuffed and seated on the ground.
The video, shared by Ben-Gvir on his social media, depicted dozens of activists kneeling with their heads bowed and hands tied behind their backs, while the Israeli national anthem played loudly in the background.
Flotilla organizers reported that the Israeli navy intercepted all vessels in international waters, approximately 250 nautical miles from the Gaza coast.
According to the organizers, this operation, which began on Monday, resulted in the “abduction” of 428 activists by Israel. Barrot condemned the treatment of the flotilla participants on Wednesday, labeling it “unacceptable.” He also mentioned that France’s ambassador to Israel, Joshua L. Zarka, would be summoned for discussions.
Earlier this week, Israeli forces also halted two humanitarian aid flotillas heading towards the Gaza Strip, which included South Korean activists.
The ship named “Lina Al Nabuls” contained South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun and Korean-American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, while another flotilla, “Kyriakos X,” included South Korean activist Kim Dong-hyun. Both Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyun were later released by Israel, as confirmed by South Korea’s presidential office.
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