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France has decided to ban Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday (May 23). The decision came after the incident with a flotilla of activists heading to Gaza.
Several European governments have expressed outrage after Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself holding activists trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Some of the activists later alleged that they were subjected to sexual abuse, including rape, while in detention. Israeli prison authorities have denied the allegations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, the country’s close ally, have both rebuked Ben-Gvir after his treatment of activists sparked controversy.
Several countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands, condemned this behavior.
“Along with my Italian counterpart, I am asking the European Union to also take sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir,” Barrot wrote on social media platform X.
Ships intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters this week have been deported from Israel.
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Reuters’s reporting contributed to this article.
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