France Bans Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich Over West Bank Policy Views

France on Tuesday announced a travel ban on Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing his alleged role in promoting settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and advocating what French officials described as the “re-colonisation” of Gaza. The decision marks a further escalation in diplomatic tensions over Israeli settlement policies and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the ban also applies to four leaders of settler organisations and 21 individuals identified as “violent settlers.” He stated that the measures were taken in coordination with several allied countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, as part of broader efforts to respond to settlement activity and violence in the West Bank.

Barrot criticised the policy of expanding settlements, saying it runs counter to the widely supported international position favouring a two-state solution. He added that France’s decision reflects growing international concern over actions that, in its view, undermine prospects for peace and stability in the region.

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Smotrich, a leader of Israel’s far-right Religious Zionist Party and a key figure in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, becomes the second Israeli minister to be banned by France in recent months. In a similar move, France previously barred National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over comments seen as mocking detained activists involved in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

The latest sanctions come amid a broader wave of travel restrictions imposed by several European and Western countries. Ireland has also recently barred both Smotrich and Ben Gvir, while the United Kingdom introduced similar measures last year, followed by other nations including Spain and Slovenia.

French officials said the decision underscores a coordinated international effort to hold accountable those linked to settlement expansion and alleged violence in the occupied territories. However, Israeli officials have previously rejected such measures, arguing that they interfere in domestic political affairs and security policy. The development adds to already strained relations between Israel and several European governments, as diplomatic divisions deepen over the future of the West Bank and the broader conflict in Gaza.

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