France has banned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory, citing his “unspeakable” behaviour of taunting Gaza flotilla activists who were arrested by Israeli police forces.“As of today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory. This decision follows his unspeakable actions towards French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced in a post on X on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalised in this way – all the more so by a public official,” Barrot said, while calling on the European Union to also sanction Ben-Gvir.Ben-Gvir had posted footage on a social media platform showing himself gloating as activists from the flotilla knelt on the floor, blindfolded, with their hands bound, at the port of Ashdod.The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a Telegram statement on Friday that the freed activists reported at least 15 cases of sexual abuse while in Israeli detention.Ben-Gvir is an open admirer of Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli who killed 29 Palestinians as they prayed in Hebron in 1994. He has been convicted multiple times by Israeli courts for “incitement to racism”.Poland has also barred Ben-Gvir, announcing a five-year ban on Thursday. “In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski posted.The French ban comes weeks after the European Union imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and pro-settlement groups. Advertisement Ben-Gvir is among several Israeli leaders and organisati …
