PARIS (AP) 鈥� France on Saturday banned Israel鈥檚 far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing his “unspeakable” behavior targeting who were detained by his police force.
鈥淎s of today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory. This decision follows his unspeakable actions toward French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” the French foreign minister, Jean-No毛l Barrot, announced in a post on X.
鈥淲e cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way 鈥� all the more so by a public official,鈥� Barrot posted, calling on the European Union to also sanction Ben-Gvir.
The Associated Press has sought comment from Ben-Gvir’s spokesperson and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This week, Ben-Gvir after promoting a video of himself taunting detained flotilla activists.
In one clip, Ben-Gvir is seen waving a large Israeli flag over hunched-over detainees whose hands appear to be bound. In another, he taunts a kneeling detainee whose wrists are zip-tied, yelling 鈥淎m Yisrael Chai鈥� at him 鈥� Hebrew for 鈥淭he nation of Israel lives.鈥� In a third, detainees can be seen 鈥� foreheads to the floor of an outdoor pen 鈥� as the Israeli national anthem plays and armed guards encircle them.
Foreign leaders 鈥� and 鈥� condemned Ben-Gvir’s on-camera treatment of some 430 flotilla detainees.
In his post, the French minister was also critical of flotilla activists, who were attempting .
鈥淲e disapprove of this flotilla鈥檚 approach, which produces no useful effect and places an additional burden on diplomatic and consular services,” Barrot wrote.
The flotilla of 50 boats was in international waters some 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Israel. Detained activists accused Israeli forces of describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs.
Poland has also barred Ben-Gvir, announcing a five-year-ban on Thursday.
鈥淚n the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski posted.
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