France has barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, escalating Western pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition over settlement policy and violence in the occupied West Bank. The decision, announced by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday, marks the latest in a series of coordinated actions by European and allied nations targeting senior Israeli officials and settler organizations.
Barrot accused Smotrich of actively promoting policies that undermine the two-state solution, including the annexation of the West Bank, the creation of new settlements, the re-colonisation of Gaza, and the economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority. "This is a policy that the overwhelming majority of the international community, firmly committed to the two-state solution, cannot accept," Barrot wrote on X. The ban also extends to four leaders of settler organizations and twenty-one violent settlers, according to the French foreign ministry.
Israel swiftly condemned the move. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called the sanctions "disgraceful," arguing they represent an attempt to impose a political stance on Israel. "The real essence of these steps is the attempt to impose a political position regarding the right of Jews to settle in the Land of Israel and concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - camouflaged as measures against violence," he said.
Coordinated Western Sanctions Campaign
France's action comes just weeks after it barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering the country, following a video he posted showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla forced to their knees. Several EU member states have urged the bloc to follow France's lead, reflecting growing frustration with the far-right figures in Netanyahu's coalition.
The French ban is part of a broader effort by Western nations to increase pressure on Israel over settlement expansion and settler violence. The UK, Canada, and Norway have all announced measures targeting individuals and organisations linked to settlement activity and violence against Palestinians. In the UK, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament on Tuesday that the government is urging British businesses and citizens to avoid financial activities connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. "We believe that violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians," Cooper said. She added that while the Israeli government has condemned some settler violence, "that rings hollow when there is scant accountability."
The latest measures build on sanctions imposed on both Smotrich and Ben Gvir last year, when the four countries accused the ministers of inciting violence against Palestinians. Israel at the time denounced those sanctions as "scandalous."
The coordinated approach reflects deep concern among Western governments that continued settlement expansion is threatening the viability of a future Palestinian state. France, as a key EU member, has taken a leading role in pushing back against what it sees as unilateral actions that erode the prospects for peace. The move also aligns with broader European efforts to uphold international law in the region, including the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on the illegality of Israeli settlements.
For context, the European Union has long considered Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. The bloc's position, reiterated in numerous council conclusions, calls for a halt to settlement activity as a prerequisite for a negotiated two-state solution. France's ban on Smotrich and Ben Gvir signals a more assertive stance, potentially encouraging other EU capitals to take similar measures.
The situation in the West Bank remains tense, with settler violence and military operations continuing. The European Pulse has previously covered related developments, including the UNIFIL deputy's warning that no quick peace is possible between Israel and Hezbollah without political will, and the withdrawal of Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid from a Marseille festival amid boycott pressure. These stories underscore the interconnected nature of regional conflicts and European responses.
As Western nations intensify their pushback, the Netanyahu government faces increasing diplomatic isolation. Whether these measures will alter Israeli policy on settlements remains uncertain, but they signal a growing willingness among European and allied states to impose consequences for actions they view as undermining peace and international law.
