Sa'ar bans Jean-Luc Melenchon, Mathilde Panot from entering Israel

Israel said on Thursday it would bar Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the far-left French presidential contender and leader of France Unbowed, from entering the country, France 24 reported. Mathilde Panot, the party's parliamentary group chair, is also banned, according to France 24 and Reuters. The Israeli Foreign Ministry cited "the extreme anti-Israel stance of La France Insoumise party and the outrageous statements made by its leaders," Reuters reported. The ministry said both had made statements spreading "blood libels" against Israel, and that Mélenchon had called for French ships to escort illegal flotillas to Gaza, Reuters reported.

The announcement came after Mélenchon said in a campaign speech last Saturday that if he were elected, French vessels would accompany activists hoping to force aid into the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. In that speech, Mélenchon said France would "act directly in support of the Palestinians" in Gaza and the West Bank, and that "French ships, like those of Italy and Spain, will escort, if necessary, the flotillas of citizens mobilised to affirm people's rights," France 24 reported.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said it "will respond firmly to those who seek to harm it and will not allow individuals who act against Israel and incite against its citizens to enter the country," France 24 reported.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced the move on X, calling it "demagogic" and saying it "plays into the hands of those who, like La France Insoumise, thrive on exploiting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Reuters reported. He added that "France will continue to work tirelessly toward a two-state solution and the peaceful coexistence of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples," Reuters reported.

Mélenchon told Franceinfo radio: "I am banned from entering a territory I did not ask to enter...I regret that the Israeli government is pursuing me like this," Reuters reported. France 24 noted that Mélenchon, a fierce critic of Israel, had no apparent plans to visit the country.

The ban follows France's refusal of entry to the head of a body representing settlements in the occupied West Bank, France 24 reported. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007 and has more strictly controlled entry points since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, France 24 reported. Israel has previously banned entry to British left-wing lawmakers including Jeremy Corbyn after London imposed sanctions on settlement products, France 24 reported.