France Imposes Travel Ban on Israel’s Smotrich Over West Bank Policies
France has blocked far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory, citing his endorsement of West Bank settlement expansion and provocative policies against Palestinian communities. The ban, described by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot as targeting those advancing an “unacceptable colonial agenda,” marks the latest step by European nations to isolate Israeli officials linked to West Bank tensions.
Smotrich becomes the second senior Israeli minister barred by France in months, following National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s May exclusion for deriding Gaza aid activists. Barrot stated Smotrich’s policies—including annexation plans, West Bank settlement growth, Gaza’s economic stranglehold, and undermining the Palestinian Authority—go against international consensus supporting a two-state solution. The minister accused Israel of disguising discriminatory measures as anti-violence protocols.
The sanctions also apply to four settler organization leaders and 21 individuals identified for violence. The French ban aligns with actions by Canada, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the measures as “disgraceful,” framing them as political pressure against Jewish settlements. Oren Marmorstein, a ministry spokesperson, argued the move diverts attention from Palestinian militant actions.
The intensification of West Bank violence—a focal point of the 2023 Gaza war—has spurred diplomatic fallout. Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,080 Palestinians since October 2023, per AFP records, while Israeli casualties from attacks and military operations reached 46. A UN inquiry described Gaza’s civilian harm as a mix of Israeli military actions, settler violence, and Hamas governance.
French Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper separately urged businesses and citizens to avoid economic engagement with West Bank settlements, condemning settler profits from lands taken from Palestinians. Ben Gvir, a 2022 coalition partner of Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party, has driven Netanyahu’s hardline governance. Both leaders, accused of fueling regional unrest, face mounting international isolation.
The coordinated sanctions reflect a growing Western consensus that Israeli policies in occupied territories violate international norms, though enforcement remains a contentious diplomatic battleground. Smotrich’s absence from French soil underscores its commitment to curbing perceived incitements to West Bank escalation.