10 Western countries ban Ben-Gvir, Smotrich as legal investigations pursue them

OCCUPIED QUDS, July 06 (YPA) – The Israeli occupation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that 10 European and Western nations have banned entry to the far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have called for the annihilation of Palestinians.

In an official statement, the ministry noted that it is closely monitoring this diplomatic development, calling on the concerned nations to reconsider decisions it described as “unjustified.”  The list of banning nations includes the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, New Zealand, and France.

Ben-Gvir had previously been barred from entering France and Ireland in late May following his publication of a video clip showing the abuse of detained activists from the “Freedom Flotilla” at sea. The footage sparked international condemnation and prompted calls from several countries to impose European sanctions on him, alongside the initiation of investigations by judicial authorities in Italy and France over chages of torturing the activists.

In a related development, Ben-Gvir canceled a scheduled trip to New York yesterday to attend the United Nations Chief of Police Summit, due to concerns over human rights protests and demands for his arrest. This cancellation coincided with a formal request submitted by the “Hind Rajab Foundation,” a human rights organization, to the U.S. Department of Justice seeking an urgent criminal investigation and the arrest of the Israeli National Security Minister upon arrival.

The foundation based its request on a case file documenting his direct incitement to genocide, torture, and the adoption of extremist prison policies that have led to the deaths of dozens of Palestinian detainees since he took office in 2022.

YPA