Israeli minister Ben-Gvir banned from French territory

PARIS, May 23 (Reuters) - ‌France has ​decided ​to ban Israel's far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from French territory, Foreign ‌Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, adding ⁠that this reflected growing anger among governments around the ‌world over the treatment ‌of an activist flotilla heading to Gaza.

"As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering ​French territory," Barrot wrote on X.

"Along with my Italian counterpart, I am asking the ⁠European Union to also take sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir."

Western governments expressed ​outrage after Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself taunting activists who had intended ​to bring humanitarian aid ‌to Gaza being pinned to the ground. Some later alleged they had ⁠been physically assaulted in detention, allegations that Israel's prison service denied.

Ben-Gvir was rebuked by both Israeli Prime ⁠Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, Israel's staunchest ​ally. Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir's conduct was "not in line with Israel's values and norms".

A spokesperson for Ben-Gvir did not ‌immediately reply to a request for a comment on the French decision.

The ‌activists, whose vessels were intercepted this week in ⁠international waters by ‌the Israeli navy, ​have been deported from Israel.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-GuptaEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Kevin ‌Liffey)

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