Tel Aviv/Paris – Israel cancels the entry visas of 27 French lawmakers and officials just 48 hours before their scheduled visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank, sparking sharp criticism and diplomatic unease between Paris and Tel Aviv.
The group—comprising 17 members of the French National Assembly, including representatives from the Ecologist Party and the French Communist Party—called the decision “collective punishment” and urged French President Emmanuel Macron to take a firm stand.
In a joint statement released Sunday, the lawmakers condemned the move as a “major breach of diplomatic ties” and a direct challenge to their roles as elected officials. “It requires an unequivocal stance from the highest authorities of our state,” the delegation stated, according to Haaretz.
The visit, coordinated by the French Consulate in Jerusalem, aimed to promote international cooperation and dialogue in the region, with plans to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups over five days.
However, Israel’s Interior Ministry defended the visa revocation, invoking a law that permits authorities to deny entry to individuals involved in or supportive of efforts to boycott Israel. According to the ministry, the delegation’s itinerary included activities with a group it claims has promoted a boycott of Israel and supported the removal of Hamas from international terrorist lists.
False Assumptions
Camille Naget, a Paris city councillor and member of the Ecologist Party, denied these claims. She said the referenced organisation—the AJPF (Association for Solidarity Between France and Palestinian Refugee Camps)—works to foster partnerships between French cities and Palestinian refugee camps and has never supported Hamas or endorsed any boycott activity.
“This decision is based on false assumptions and is politically motivated,” Naget told Haaretz, adding that the delegation was focused on peace-building, not protest.
The diplomatic rift unfolds against a backdrop of growing tensions between France and Israel. French President Emmanuel Macron recently signaled a shift in France’s Middle East policy, suggesting that Paris might soon recognize a Palestinian state. He also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, urging immediate action.
Netanyahu responded strongly, warning that recognizing a Palestinian state now would be a “huge reward for terrorism.”
The Ecologist and Communist parties, both part of the cancelled delegation, have historically supported Palestinian statehood and called for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict.
As of Monday, there has been no official response from the Élysée Palace. However, political pressure is mounting within France for Macron to address what many are calling an unprecedented snub to French democracy and diplomacy.
Whether this visa controversy will lead to a wider diplomatic fallout remains to be seen—but for now, the rift highlights the increasingly strained relations between Israel and some of its European allies.
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