Israel Bars French Presidential Candidate Mélenchon From Entry, Citing His Call for Naval Escorts for Gaza Aid Flotillas; Panot Also Banned
Israel's Foreign Ministry announced on November 12 that Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French left-wing party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) and a candidate in France's 2027 presidential election, is barred from entering Israel. Mathilde Panot, who chairs the party's group in the National Assembly, was banned at the same time. The decision was made by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and Agence France-Presse reported the statement the same day.
In its statement, the ministry described the party as pursuing an "extreme anti-Israel policy," accused its senior figures of making "outrageous statements" and of leveling what it called blood libels against Israel. It singled out Mélenchon's call to deploy French warships to escort civilian aid flotillas bound for the Gaza Strip. Israel said it would not allow entry to people who act against Israel and its citizens or incite against them.
Mélenchon made the pledge on November 7 at a party meeting in Le Bourget, near Paris, where he presented his 2027 campaign program. He promised that, if elected president, French ships would, if necessary, escort citizen flotillas mobilized to assert people's rights, and that France would act directly in support of Palestinians against the situation in Gaza and the progressive annexation of the West Bank.
After the ban was announced, Mélenchon told France Info that he had never asked to enter Israel and that the decision would not change his position. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the decision the same day as a "demagogic" move, saying such measures only strengthen those who instrumentalize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The announcement came one day after France barred Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council in the West Bank, from entering France, in a second entry dispute between the two countries in two days.
(Source: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Source: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：法国「不屈法国」领导人梅朗雄（资料图）。本站档案图复用。 / Photo: France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon (file photo). GSM archive reuse.
