France Defends Sanctions Against Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Amid West Bank Violence

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank on Wednesday and stated that these events justify France's sanctions against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Barrot wrote on X that the situation in the West Bank is utterly disgraceful and should fill everyone with revulsion, adding that Ben-Gvir's recent comments are unacceptable and inhuman. France previously announced a ban on Ben-Gvir from French territory in May.

Barrot indicated that new sanctions could be implemented against Israeli settlers involved in violence. In June, France joined Britain, Canada, and Norway in coordinated sanctions against Israeli networks accused of financing and carrying out violence in the West Bank. Israel's foreign ministry rejected these measures, claiming the involved governments failed to control antisemitism and were fueling it through such sanctions.

Reports from a center-right source provide additional context regarding violence in Kusra, near Nablus, where settlers encircled three Palestinian homes. This source notes that the IDF increased its presence in the village and that some Israeli officials, including Ben-Gvir and Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Gantz, criticized the violence. That same source also cites IDF figures showing a 27 percent increase in attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in 2025.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war. While most countries and UN bodies consider these settlements a violation of international law, Israel disputes this by citing historical and biblical ties to the land.