Israel intensified its controversial entry ban policy by blocking European Parliament member Rima Hassan at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday. The French politician, part of an EU-Palestine delegation, faced immediate deportation after Interior Minister Moshe Arbel accused her of systematically promoting anti-Israel boycotts through media and social platforms.
The incident follows Israel's recent legislative amendment expanding entry restrictions to include:
- Individuals denying Hamas' October 2023 attacks
- Supporters of international legal action against IDF personnel
- Holocaust deniers and boycott activists
This policy update builds on Israel's 2017 BDS movement ban, which critics argue targets Palestinian solidarity campaigns. Hassan's France Unbowed party condemned the exclusion as
a dangerous suppression of democratic dialoguewhile organizing protests outside EU headquarters.
Diplomatic tensions flared as Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attended the EU-Israel Association Council meeting in Brussels. Multiple EU states, led by Spain and Ireland, pushed to suspend the agreement amid ICJ investigations into Gaza conflict allegations. Saar maintained Israel would engage constructively but reject delegitimization attempts during the high-stakes talks.
The EU-Israel Association Agreement now faces unprecedented scrutiny, with Hassan's exclusion highlighting growing divisions over Middle East policy. Pro-BDS groups argue the entry bans reveal Israel's sensitivity to nonviolent resistance tactics, while Israeli officials insist they combat antisemitic discrimination disguised as political activism.
As global attention shifts to Brussels, this incident underscores the complex intersection of free speech, international law, and Middle East geopolitics. With both sides hardening their positions, analysts warn of escalating diplomatic fallout affecting EU-Israel trade relations and security cooperation frameworks.
