France Bans Israeli National Security Minister

France has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory, citing his conduct toward activists detained from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, as international condemnation over the treatment of the 430 detainees continued to mount on Saturday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the ban on X, saying the decision followed Ben-Gvir’s “unspeakable actions toward French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla.”

“We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way, all the more so by a public official,” Barrot wrote.

Ben-Gvir sparked global outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting detained flotilla activists who were seen forced to kneel with their foreheads to the ground and their hands tied, as they awaited deportation at the southern port of Ashdod.

Poland had already barred Ben-Gvir earlier in the week, announcing a five-year ban on Thursday. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski posted: “In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody.”

Barrot, while condemning Ben-Gvir’s conduct, also distanced France from the flotilla’s mission itself.

“We disapprove of this flotilla’s approach, which produces no useful effect and places an additional burden on diplomatic and consular services,” he wrote.

He nonetheless called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir, joining a similar call from Italy.

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement on Friday that freed activists reported at least 15 cases of sexual abuse while in Israeli detention, including humiliating strip searches, sexual taunting, groping and multiple accounts of rape, with the worst incidents occurring on a vessel converted into a makeshift prison.

The UN said it was “very concerned” by the reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” though Netanyahu had earlier denounced the humanitarian aid mission as a “malicious scheme” intended to support Hamas.