Six Nations Including UK and France Ban Entry of Israeli Far-Right Minister

France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and three other nations imposed entry bans on Tuesday (local time) against individuals including Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler activist, in response to violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the decision in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that day, stating, "We are imposing new sanctions on those responsible for promoting colonization and violence in the West Bank."

Australia, New Zealand, and Norway are also participating in these sanctions.

Minister Barrot added that in addition to Minister Smotrich, four leaders of Israeli settler organizations and 21 violent settlers have also been banned from entry.

Barrot criticized Minister Smotrich, stating that he is "actively pushing for the annexation of the West Bank, supporting the construction of new settlements in the West Bank and the resettlement of the Gaza Strip, and effectively tolerating the economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority and the negative consequences that Palestinian residents will face as a result."

He emphasized, "This is a policy that is unacceptable to the overwhelming majority of the international community, which remains firmly committed to a two-state solution."

In a joint statement, Minister Barrot and his counterparts participating in the sanctions urged, "Violent extremist settlers, with the support of their backers, continue to attack Palestinians and violate their human rights," adding, "The Israeli government must ensure that prompt and thorough investigations are conducted into all attacks and take action against groups that incite violence."

Violence involving Israeli settlers has continued in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

The international community considers the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank to be illegal.

The European Union (EU) sanctioned three extremist Israeli settler activists and four organizations late last month, but excluded Israeli far-right cabinet members such as Minister Smotrich.

Minister Smotrich founded one of the organizations sanctioned by the EU.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.