France banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country on Tuesday, with the French foreign minister condemning the far-right politician for actively promoting the annexation of the occupied West Bank and what Paris described as the “recolonisation” of Gaza.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the ban, slamming Smotrich for promoting the annexation of the occupied West Bank, new settlements in the area, and the recolonisation of Gaza. Smotrich was among dozens of Israelis also sanctioned by Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.
Barrot also announced that France had barred four leaders of settler organisations and 21 violent settlers from entering the country.
The ban on Smotrich follows France’s decision last month to bar National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was sanctioned after posting a video of himself mocking bound activists seized by Israeli soldiers from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Together, Ben Gvir and Smotrich form a cornerstone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government.
Ireland also barred the two ministers in recent days. Britain banned the pair in June last year, with Spain, Slovenia and other countries following suit.
Smotrich has previously called for the “total annihilation” of Gaza and said a Palestinian town in the West Bank should be “wiped out.”
Settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, a position reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.
