France has barred Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council in the West Bank, from entering the country, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Last week, French immigration authorities prevented Dagan from entering the country and informed him that he was not permitted to cross the border into France.
During border control, Dagan was taken in for questioning, where an officer spoke with him at length and presented documentation showing that he was prohibited from entering the country due to his role as head of the Samaria Regional Council, his building of 35 settlements in the West Bank, and his advocacy for Gush Katif.
"Mr. Dagan is subject to an administrative ban from the territory due to his active role in implementing the settlement policy in the West Bank. Settlement activity is contrary to international law and undermines the two-state solution," a French foreign ministry source told the Post.
Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the decision. In a statement, it said, "Israel views with severity France's decision to ban the entry of a law-abiding Israeli elected official based on clearly political and ideological grounds. This is an entirely unacceptable step, and Israel will demand explanations from the French government regarding the matter and consider its steps accordingly."
France bans Samaria regional council head Dagan from entering country
When asked for his response to the entry ban, Dagan stated: "I am proud to be a Jew and a Zionist and to build the historic homeland of the Jewish people. I am proud to be on the right side of history."
The decision, made in recent days, marks an unusual move by French authorities, as there have been no previously known cases of France banning the head of an Israeli regional council in the West Bank from entering.
This comes after France banned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced in May.