France on Tuesday said that Israel should allow its parliamentarians access to whomever they wish to meet while in Israel.
The statement from the French Foreign Ministry came after Israel announced it would bar entry to the country to a group of French politicians seeking to visit jailed terrorist leader Marwan Barghouti.
“In general, we want all French parliamentarians to have access to all of the interlocutors they wish to meet in order to conduct their fact-finding missions,” said the statement.
“We are paying close attention to this matter with respect to Israel as with respect to all countries that French elected officials visit,” it added.
The decision not to allow the French lawmakers entry was part of efforts by Israel's government to bar supporters of a boycott of the country.
Barghouti is serving several life sentences in Israel for his role in planning terrorist attacks against Israelis.
He is widely believed to have planned the Second Intifada, which claimed thousands of Israeli lives from 2000 to 2005. Barghouti has continued inciting terrorism from his jail cell.