France has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country after he published a video with detained activists of the Sumud flotilla, which was on its way to the Gaza Strip.
As noted by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the decision was taken in connection with “unacceptable actions against French and European citizens” who were on the ships of the flotilla and were detained by the Israeli military.
Barro said French authorities disapproved of “the actions of this flotilla, which have no useful effect and overburden diplomatic and consular services.”
“But we cannot accept that French citizens can be subjected to such threats, intimidation or ill-treatment, even more so by a public official,” the minister wrote online X. Barro called on the EU to also impose restrictions on Ben-Gvir.
On 20 May, Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media that shows the official waving an Israeli flag in front of activists who are on their knees, leaning forward and lowering their heads to the ground. In one of the shots, a Security Service official kneels on the ground in front of an activist who shouts “Freedom for Palestine! ” The caption to the video in Ben-Gvir’s post reads, “this is how we meet supporters of terrorism.”
After the video was published, several European countries summoned Israeli ambassadors. The European Commission called the treatment of the activists “quite unacceptable.” Ben-Gvir’s actions were also criticised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Sumud flotilla is an international civic initiative whose declared aim is to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip in order to deliver humanitarian aid there.
According to the organisers, the flotilla included more than 55 ships with activists from different countries. This year’s action was organised by the Turkish humanitarian foundation IHH, which was involved in organising the Freedom Flotilla in 2010. A total of 430 activists from 39 countries were detained.
The Israeli authorities have previously repeatedly stated that they will suppress attempts to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, considering such actions as support for Hamas, a group recognised as a terrorist group in the US, the European Union and Israel.