France on Saturday (May 23) banned extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory, in a move that reflects a clear diplomatic escalation with Tel Aviv.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault announced that the decision would come into effect immediately, while calling on the European Union to impose comprehensive personal and economic sanctions on Ben-Gvir over the mistreatment of activists participating in the global "Resilience Flotilla".
Barrow explained in a post on "X" that France cannot accept "threatening, intimidating or bullying" its citizens, especially when it comes from a government official.
The decision comes after Ben-Gvir published a video showing him supervising abuses of international activists from the "Steadfastness Flotilla", who were on a humanitarian mission to break the siege on Gaza, before their boats were subjected to an Israeli attack in the Mediterranean, which resulted in the arrest of 428 activists from 44 countries.
Poland precedes France and prevents Ben-Gvir from entering its territory
The scenes that appeared in the video sparked a wave of international condemnation, prompting a number of countries to summon Israel's ambassadors to them, including Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium and Britain.
France also joined Poland, which was a day earlier in imposing a similar ban on Ben-Gvir's entry, and summoned the Israeli ambassador in Warsaw to provide official clarifications on what happened with the flotilla activists.
Expansion of the district
The measures are not limited to France and Poland, as other European countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia, as well as Western countries including Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, have taken hardline political or diplomatic steps against the Israeli government and its officials, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and violations of international law on the ground.
Reports indicate that an expanded meeting of EU foreign ministers is expected in mid-July, during which he is scheduled to put forward a proposal to impose personal and economic sanctions on Ben-Gvir, including banning him from entering all EU countries, in light of estimates that it is likely to mobilize the necessary support to pass these sanctions in light of the current crisis.
Tensions Rise Between Paris and Tel Aviv
In April 2026, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed that Israel canceled a planned visit by French Defense Minister Alice Ruffeau after Paris refused to allow American planes loaded with weapons to fly in its airspace on their way to Israel, despite Tel Aviv's attempts to justify that these weapons are intended for the "war against Iran."
Israel decided to take a subsequent escalatory step, to stop all arms purchases from France, except for existing contracts, after considering that Paris adopts a "hostile stance" towards it, especially after being prevented from participating in the "Eurostory" military exhibition in June 2024 and the "Euronaval" maritime exhibition in November 2024, within the framework of French pressure related to Israel's policies in the Gaza Strip.