France has barred Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country after he filmed himself mocking detained pro-Palestinian flotilla activists.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the ban on Saturday, accusing the hard-right Israeli politician of threatening and humiliating French and European citizens detained after the Global Sumud Flotilla was intercepted en route to Gaza.
“As of today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory,” Barrot wrote on X. “We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalised in this way — all the more so by a public official.” Barrot also called on the European Union to impose wider sanctions on Ben-Gvir.
Barrot also criticised the flotilla itself, describing the mission as producing “no useful effect” and diplomatically counterproductive.
The decision to ban Ben-Gvir follows days of international backlash to the video, which shows activists kneeling on the floor with their hands bound and eyes covered while he waved an Israeli flag and shouted slogans over them.
À compter de ce jour, Itamar Ben-Gvir est interdit d'accès au territoire français.
— Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) May 23, 2026
Cette décision fait suite à ses agissements inqualifiables à l'égard de citoyens français et européens passagers de la flottille Global Smud.
Nous désapprouvons la démarche de cette flottille…
The flotilla, made up of around 50 vessels carrying roughly 430 activists, had attempted to sail toward Gaza before being intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters earlier this week. Many of the activists have since been deported via Turkey.
The footage of Ben-Gvir celebrating the arrests provoked fury across Europe, with France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada summoning Israeli ambassadors to demand explanations over what several governments described as degrading and unacceptable treatment.
Within Israel, the videos drew criticism from political figures across the spectrum, including within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Poland announced its own five-year entry ban against Ben-Gvir earlier this week.
"In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody," Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski said.
ככה אנחנו מקבלים את תומכי הטרור
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 20, 2026
Welcome to Israel 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/7Hf8cAg7fC
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