Senior settler leader Yossi Dagan denied entry into France

Settler leader and head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan said Wednesday that he was denied entry into France last week after flying to Paris for a series of meetings. The Foreign Ministry condemned the French decision and said it would demand an explanation from Paris for the move. Dagan’s office said he was taken aside for questioning by border control officials and told he was not allowed to enter the country due to his role in the establishment of 35 settlements in the northern West Bank, and for promoting the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Dagan has indeed been active in supporting and promoting the establishment of settlements and illegal settlement outposts in the jurisdiction of the Samaria Regional Council, which he heads, and has advanced a program to bring a million residents to the northern West Bank by 2050. Writing on social media Wednesday evening, Dagan said he was “proud to be, together with my brothers and sisters — the pioneers of Samaria — on the right side of history.”

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms The Foreign Ministry called the French decision “completely unacceptable.” “Israel views with severity France’s decision to ban the entry of a law-abiding Israeli elected official on a blatantly political and ideological basis,” said the ministry statement. “This is a completely unacceptable step, and Israel will demand explanations for it from the French government and will accordingly consider its steps.”

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council who is spearheading the campaign to resettle the Gaza Strip, points at a map of northern Samaria in his office in the Barkan industrial center in Ariel, November 20, 2023. (Mati Wagner / The Times of Israel) Dagan has worked assiduously in recent years to expand existing settlements as much as possible, help establish and support illegal outposts such as Shuvael, and lobby the government to legalize existing illegal outposts.

He has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, as well as to resettle Gaza in response to the “holocaust” of October 7. Advertisement Relations between France and Israel have been notably tense over the past few years, as Paris has grown increasingly critical of the Netanyahu-led government, the war against Hamas in Gaza and soaring West Bank violence. In June, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was also barred from entering France, which accused him of promoting the annexation of the West Bank and the “recolonization” of Gaza.

A month earlier, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was also banned from the country over his treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists. In June, the French foreign minister also said that four leaders of settler organizations and 21 “violent settlers” were part of the ban along with Smotrich. Paris did not name the entire list of those barred at the time, although it likely included Dagan. Paris has also announced sanctions against several settler individuals and entities, and has also barred Israeli defense companies from attending defense and weapons exhibitions held in France.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report. Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors. Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy; Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.

As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more. CHOOSE YOUR BOOK CHOOSE YOUR BOOK Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 In furious speech demanding ‘unity government,’ Netanyahu claims Arab MKs want Israel’s destruction 2 On 1st day of Knesset, Eisenkot bloc submits bills to form Oct. 7 state inquiry, nix judicial overhaul 3 Abbas said ready to recognize Hamas as terror group in exchange for real ‘partnership’ 4 Israeli blood test detects early breast cancer with 95% accuracy 5 Iran said producing up to 50 ballistic missiles a month, as IRGC unveils underground ‘missile city’ 6 Full text Netanyahu: The Arab parties seek to destroy the Jewish state.

They must not be part of a government 7 Zamir said to again warn against Netanyahu advancing ill-advised action against Iran 8 Op-ed: 2 weeks after election Netanyahu’s furious, hollow demand for a unity only his departure can deliver read more: Israel & the Region Yossi Dagan Samaria Regional Council Foreign Ministry Israel-France relations If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member?

Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong.

Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at .

It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community!

We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.