French government condemns Israel entry ban on Jean-Luc Melenchon

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French government condemns Israel entry ban on Jean-Luc Melenchon Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Fri, 11/13/2026 - 09:34 Foreign minister accuses Netanyahu of 'demagogic' move…

The French government has condemned Israel for blocking left-wing political leader and presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon from the country.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the move as a "demagogic decision" by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which he said "has repeatedly violated international law".

Barrot, an opponent of Melenchon and his La France Insoumise (LFI) party, said Israel's move “plays into the hands of those who, like La France Insoumise, live off the instrumentalisation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

The ban on Melenchon was announced on Thursday, citing the veteran politician's criticism of Israel's occupation and genocide in Gaza.

Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Melenchon of "blood libels" against Israel, specifically citing his promise last week to send ships to accompany Gaza aid flotillas if elected president.

It also comes a week after France refused admission to the country to Israeli settler Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council in the northern occupied West Bank.

France is set for elections in 2027 that could see the far-right National Rally win the presidency for the first time. Its leader Marine Le Pen is leading in polls, with Melenchon her nearest rival.

In response to the ban, Melenchon said he regretted the Israeli government was targeting him in this fashion.

“I have been banned from entering a territory I had no intention of visiting," he wrote on X.

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