A broad initiative is currently being advanced to completely ban National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering all European Union countries, following the publication of a video in which he is seen together with participants in the pro-Palestinian flotilla to Gaza.
While Ben Gvir visited the detainees, one of the activists shouted, "Free Palestine," before being whisked away by the prison guards. Ben Gvir directly addressed the detainees while waving an Israeli flag, and then said to the camera: "The summer camp is over, whoever acts against the State of Israel will find a determined country, Am Israel Chai."
Meanwhile, Channel 12 News reported that European diplomats are finding that the decision to sanction Ben Gvir is not so simple and is encountering opposition precisely from some of the countries that are less fond of Israel. These countries worry that imposing personal sanctions on Ben Gvir would only strengthen his standing among his supporters and increase his power in Israel’s upcoming elections.
The move is being led, among others, by Italy and France. The Italian Foreign Minister has already announced that he will act to impose EU sanctions against Ben Gvir, and the French Foreign Minister has barred Ben Gvir from entering France.
However, after further consideration - mainly due to the understanding that such a decision would generate international media attention and opposition from countries in the EU that support Israel - the implementation of the move is now in doubt. The greatest concern among those promoting the decision is that while sanctions would be supported internationally, in Israel they would spark a wave of sympathy for Ben Gvir and his party.