Israel Bans Two Swedish MEPs from Entry
2 sources across 2 countries · Argentina · Israel
Who reported this
- Infobae
- The Jerusalem Post
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Every outlet covering this story shares the same political lean; read with that in mind.
Israel has banned two Swedish members of the European Parliament, Jonas Sjöstedt and Hanna Gedin of the Left Party, from entering the country. The decision follows a request by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar based on Israel's Entry Law, which allows the state to bar foreign citizens who publicly call for boycotts, deny the October 7 attacks, or support the prosecution of Israelis in foreign courts for war crimes.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the two MEPs have acted systematically against Israel by calling for international legal proceedings against Israelis and making false accusations regarding genocide, deliberate starvation, and the targeting of children and medical personnel. One center right source notes that Sjöstedt has previously called for an EU arms embargo and sanctions while still recognizing Israel's right to exist and condemning the October 7 Hamas attack.
Jonas Sjöstedt stated that the visit was intended for meetings with Save the Children, refugee camps, and human rights organizations in Israel and the occupied territories. He denied plans to meet with the Palestinian Authority, though a center right source reported the ban occurred a day before a planned visit to the Palestinian Authority. Hanna Gedin defended the trip as an effort to hear testimonies from Palestinian children and criticized the Netanyahu government for fearing the defense of international law.
Both Sjöstedt and Gedin indicated that the Swedish embassy and the EU embassy in Israel have protested the decision.
How each side framed it
- Centre-right
- Outlets with this lean framed the ban as a legal response to the MEPs' systematic anti Israel activities and false accusations.
Sources
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