❗️France bans Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich over support for West Bank annexation and Gaza recolonization – The Cradle
❗️France bans Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich over support for West Bank annexation and Gaza recolonization
France has barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, citing his support for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, the expansion of illegal settlements, and the “recolonization” of Gaza.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the move alongside new sanctions targeting four settler leaders and 21 settlers over what France described as the intensification of settlement activity and violence in the occupied West Bank.
The sanctions were coordinated with Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. Smotrich becomes the second Israeli minister banned by France in recent months, following National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Together, the two ministers are key figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition and have also faced sanctions or entry bans from several other countries, including Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia.
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