Key facts
- France has banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country.
- The ban is a response to his support for West Bank annexations.
- France believes these annexations threaten a two-state solution.
- The UK, Canada, and Norway are also intensifying sanctions on settlement-linked organizations.
France has officially banned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country. The decision was made in response to his vocal support for the annexation of the West Bank, a move that France believes jeopardizes the prospects of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The French government's action underscores its opposition to policies that undermine the internationally recognized framework for peace in the region. The move by Paris comes as the UK, Canada, and Norway intensify sanctions on settlement-linked organisations and financial networks accused of supporting violence in the occupied West Bank.