Leading Israeli settler denied entry into France

A leading Israeli settler has been denied entry into France over his role in the establishment of 35 settlements in the occupied West Bank and advocacy for repopulating the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

Yossi Dagan was questioned by border control officials after he landed in Paris last week, the Times of Israel reported.

The French Foreign Ministry stated that Dagan was barred from entering the country "due to his active role in implementing settlement policy in the West Bank."

The ministry said settlement activity violates international law and undermines the two-state solution, which refers to the vision of an independent Palestinian state existing peacefully side by side with Israel.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the French decision "completely unacceptable."

"Israel will demand an explanation from the French government and consider its next steps accordingly," the ministry said.

France has recently increased measures against Israel's settlement policy. In 2024, it imposed entry bans on 28 violent settlers. This year, it joined an international initiative to restrict the trade of goods produced in settlements.

Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the Six Day War in 1967. Today, more than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in those areas among 3 million Palestinians. Palestinians claim these territories as part of their own state.