Middle EastUpdated Yesterday
France bars Yossi Dagan over West Bank settlement role
French authorities barred Israeli settler leader Yossi Dagan from entering the country, Arab News reported, after he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport the previous week. France’s Foreign Ministry confirmed an administrative entry ban, citing Dagan’s active role in implementing settlement policies in the West Bank. The ministry said settlement activity is contrary to international law and undermines the two-state solution. Arab News said Dagan’s office reported that he was questioned at the airport and returned to Israel. Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision as “completely unacceptable,” saying it would demand explanations from France and consider next steps. In a separate policy context, the Saudi Press Agency reported in August that Saudi Arabia joined a joint foreign ministers’ statement condemning Israel’s continued illegal settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territory and supporting appropriate international accountability measures, including sanctions against those responsible. The statement reaffirmed support for a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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