Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich Barred from Entering France

France denied entry to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, stating his active support for annexing the occupied West Bank and creating new settlements, which the French foreign minister Jean‑Noël Barrot said undermines the two‑state solution. The ban was announced on X and coordinated with the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, which together issued a joint statement imposing sanctions on six settler‑linked entities and one individual for violent colonial activities. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the measures as anti‑Israel and anti‑Semitic. The decision follows similar restrictions, such as France’s earlier ban on Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir, and reflects growing European criticism of Israel’s settlement policy and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.