Far-right Israeli security minister Ben-Gvir banned from French territory: FM

Advertising France bans far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir from French territory France

Far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been banned from French territory, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in a social media post Saturday. Ben-Gvir came under heavy criticism after promoting a video of himself taunting bound and kneeling activists from the Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla who had been detained by Israeli security forces.

Issued on: 23/05/2026 - 14:25Modified: 23/05/2026 - 16:21

1 min Reading time Share By: FRANCE 24

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept Manage my choices

One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.

Try again

03:47

France has ​decided to ​ban Israel's Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from ​access ‌to ⁠French territory, said Foreign ‌Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on ⁠Saturday, adding that the decision reflected ​anger over ‌the treatment of Gaza-bound flotilla activists.

"As from today, ‌Itamar Ben-Gvir is ​banned from entering French territory," wrote Barrot on ​X.

To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept Manage my choices

"Along with ​my Italian ​counterpart, I am ​asking the European Union to also take sanctions against Itamar ⁠Ben-Gvir," he added.

Western governments have voiced ‌outrage after Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself taunting Gaza-bound ​flotilla activists being pinned to the ground. Some of the activists have alleged they were beaten and sexually assaulted by Israeli security forces while in detention.

Freed Gaza flotilla activists allege Israeli abuse including rape

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.

Accept Manage my choices

One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.

Try again

03:47

Ben-Gvir's conduct was rebuked by ​both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ​Netanyahu and the United States, Israel's main ally and backer. Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir's ​conduct was "not in line with Israel's values and norms".

The flotilla's activists, whose vessel was stopped and boarded this week in international waters by Israeli naval ⁠forces as they tried to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged ⁠Gaza Strip, have ​subsequently been deported from Israel.

In his post, the French minister was also critical of flotilla activists, who were attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

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

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)

Advertising Keywords for this article

• France
• Itamar Ben-Gvir
• Israel
• Jean-Noël Barrot
• Gaza Strip