Israel’s government cancelled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before they were to start a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, the group said. Sunday’s action came amid diplomatic tensions after President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon recognise a Palestinian state. The action came only days after Israel stopped two British members of parliament from the governing Labour Party from entering the country.
Macron has, in turn, sought to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over conditions in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. Israel’s interior ministry said visas for the 27 had been canceled under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state of Israel.
The other members were left-wing town mayors and local lawmakers. Seventeen members of the group, from France’s Ecologist and Communist parties, said they had been victims of “collective punishment” by Israel and called on Macron to intervene.
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