France Bans Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich From Entry

France has banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, citing his active promotion of the annexation of the West Bank and the resettlement of Gaza.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the decision, stating that the travel ban also applies to four leaders of settler organizations and 21 violent settlers. Barrot condemned these actions as a policy rejected by the overwhelming majority of the international community, which remains committed to a two-state solution.

The entry ban is part of a coordinated effort with Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway to impose new sanctions on individuals deemed responsible for accelerating settlement expansion and escalating violence in the West Bank.

Smotrich, a member of the far-right Religious Zionist party, is the second high-profile Israeli minister barred by France recently. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was previously banned for mocking detained activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir represent a core political faction within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition. The move by France follows similar diplomatic restrictions by Ireland, Britain, Spain, and Slovenia.