PARIS: France introduced on Saturday (Might 23) it had banned Israeli Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entry for a video mocking bound activists seized by Israeli troopers on a Gaza-bound assist flotilla.
“From right now, Itamar Ben Gvir is banned from coming into French territory” after “his reprehensible actions in direction of French and European residents” who had been a part of the humanitarian flotilla, French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on X.
He added that, with Italy, he was additionally calling for European Union-level sanctions in opposition to the far-right Israeli minister.
The ban follows a worldwide outcry after Ben Gvir printed a video on Wednesday exhibiting the heavy-handed therapy of international activists from the flotilla.
They had been detained by Israel in worldwide waters and had been awaiting deportation on the southern port of Ashdod.
Within the video, dozens of activists are seen compelled to kneel with their foreheads to the bottom and their fingers tied.
The clip, which was captioned “Welcome to Israel”, additionally confirmed Ben Gvir heckling the activists whereas waving an Israeli flag.
Spain has additionally urged the EU to sanction Ben Gvir whereas the UK summoned Israel’s most senior diplomat in Britain following “the inflammatory video”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Ben Gvir’s therapy of the activists was “not consistent with Israel’s values and norms”.
Netanyahu had earlier denounced the humanitarian aid mission as a “malicious scheme” meant to help Hamas.
The activists had departed from Türkiye final week on round 50 vessels below the International Sumud Flotilla.
It was the most recent try by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza, after Israeli forces intercepted a earlier convoy final month.
