The Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israeli government on Sunday cancelled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before their visits to Jerusalem and Palestinian territories.
The action comes in the backdrop of already existing diplomatic tensions between Israel and France after French president Emmanuel Macron said that his country would soon recognise Palestinian state.
Israel’s interior ministry said that visas for the 27 lawmakers had been cancelled under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state of Israel.
As many as 17 members of the group, from France’s Ecologist and Communist parties, said they had been victims of “collective punishment” by Israel, calling on Macron to intervene. They added that they had been invited on a five-day trip by the French consulate in Jerusalem.
The lawmakers’ visit to Israel and Palestinian territories were a part of their mission to “strengthen international cooperation and culture of peace”, they added.
The group further said that this was the first time, that just before two days before their departure, Israeli authorities cancelled their entry visas that had been approved one month ago.
“We want to understand what led to this sudden decision, which resembles collective punishment,” the group said.
‘Major rupture in diplomatic ties’
The French delegation, whose visa has been cancelled by Israel, included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha and Communist senator Marianne Margate. Other members were left-wing town mayors and local lawmakers.
The statement from the group termed the visa cancellation as a “major rupture in diplomatic ties”.
“Deliberately preventing elected officials and parliamentarians from travelling cannot be without consequences,” the group added, demanding a meeting with French president Macron and action by his government to ensure Israel let them into the country.
The group also said that their parties had for decades called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, which Macron last week said would happen at an international conference in June.
Meanwhile, just a few days, Israel stopped two British members of the parliament from the governing Labour party from entering the country.
British parliament members Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were detained by Israeli authorities at the Tel Aviv airport and deported, citing the same reason.
Britain’s foreign secretary David Lammy had termed this action “unacceptable”.
Earlier in February, Israel had stopped two left-wing European parliament deputies, Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan and Lynn Boylan from Ireland, from entering.
Notably, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has furiously reacted to France’s possible recognition of a Palestinian state, saying that establishing such a state next to Israel would be a “huge reward for terrorism”.
