France Bans Itamar Ben-Gvir After Taunting Global Sumud Flotilla Activists

France banned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering French territory after footage of him taunting abducted flotilla activists triggered international condemnation.

“France has banned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from its territory after footage of him taunting abducted flotilla activists earlier in the week triggered international condemnation”

Al Jazeera

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X on Saturday, “As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory,” and the decision followed what Barrot called “reprehensible actions towards French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla.”

Al Jazeera

The ban came after Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla’s vessels in international waters off the coast of Cyprus and “illegally abducting about 430 participants this week,” according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera also reported that the images of activists being dragged across the floor prompted countries including Italy, France, the Netherlands, Canada, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors, condemning “unacceptable” treatment and a violation of human dignity.

Al Jazeera reported that the organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said freed activists had reported at least 15 cases of sexual abuse while in Israeli detention, including “humiliating strip searches, sexual taunting, groping and pulling of genitals, and multiple accounts of rape.”

The report added that the sexual abuse included “At least 12 sexual assaults have been documented on that vessel alone, including anal rape and forcible penetration by a handgun,” as correspondents said the worst occurred on a vessel converted into a makeshift prison.

Al-Monitor

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “We’re very concerned by these reports,” when asked about the allegations at a regular briefing on Friday.

Israel’s prison service denied the allegations, with an Israeli prison service spokesperson stating, “The allegations raised are false and entirely without factual basis,” and Al Jazeera said it was not able to independently verify the claims.

Barrot said the ban also reflected a call for European Union-level sanctions, saying, “Like my Italian colleague, I call on the European Union to also impose sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir.”

“France bans Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after ‘unspeakable’ flotilla detainee taunts PARIS (AP) — France on Saturday banned Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, citing his “unspeakable” behavior targeting activists from a flotilla to Gaza who were detained by his police force”

AP News

The AP reported that Barrot announced the ban citing “unspeakable” behavior targeting activists from a flotilla to Gaza who were detained by his police force, and it quoted Barrot saying, “We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way — all the more so by a public official.”

AP described global outrage after Ben-Gvir promoted a video showing him taunting detained flotilla activists, including one clip where he yelled “Am Yisrael Chai” at a kneeling detainee whose wrists appeared zip-tied.

AP also said Poland barred Ben-Gvir, announcing a five-year-ban, and it quoted Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski posting, “In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody.”