French Authorities Expel Israeli Settlement Leader Upon Arrival in Paris
France barred Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, from entering the country, prompting Israel to denounce the move as politically motivated.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
French authorities compelled Yossi Dagan, the head of the Samaria Regional Council, to depart the country immediately after he arrived at a Paris airport last week. His office announced the incident in a statement released on Wednesday, marking a significant diplomatic friction between the two nations.
According to the statement from Dagan's office, the official was stopped during passport control and subjected to questioning. He was subsequently informed that he was barred from entering French territory. The release did not specify the exact date of the incident or name the particular airport where the events took place.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the news by clarifying that Dagan is under an administrative ban. The ministry stated that the restriction is due to his active role in implementing settlement policy in the West Bank. While the ministry did not explicitly use the term deportation, it affirmed the ban's validity.
In its official statement, the French foreign ministry emphasized that settlement construction violates international law. The ministry further noted that these activities undermine the prospect of a two-state solution for the region.
Israel reacted strongly to the decision. The Israeli foreign ministry described the measure as completely unacceptable. It accused France of basing the decision on clearly political and ideological grounds rather than legal necessity.
The Israeli ministry added that it would seek a formal explanation from the French government. It indicated that Israel would evaluate its next steps in response to the diplomatic move.
This episode occurs against a backdrop of rising tensions between Israel and European nations. The dispute centers on the proliferation of settlements in the occupied West Bank, a trend that has accelerated under the outgoing right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Current data indicates that more than 500,000 Israelis reside in West Bank settlements, excluding annexed East Jerusalem. They live alongside approximately three million Palestinians in the territory.
Violence in the region has intensified significantly since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during this period. Most of these fatalities involved Israeli soldiers.
Israeli figures report that more than 50 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations over the same timeframe. In response to the surge in violence, France and other nations announced in September their intent to sanction trade with West Bank settlements. On Monday, a French parliamentary committee adopted a bill to ban the import of products from these settlements and services that contribute to their construction.
