Israel shows "red card" to France Experts weigh in on visa ban for 27 French politicians

French politicians are outraged: Israel cancelled the entry visas for 27 French parliamentarians and officials just two days before their scheduled visit to the Jewish state and the Palestinian Authority. The situation quickly escalated into an international scandal.

Israel stated that the visas were revoked in accordance with a law allowing the country to deny entry to individuals acting against its interests.

The parliamentarians had been invited by the French embassy in Jerusalem. The visit's program included trips to both Israel and the Palestinian territories as part of a "mission to strengthen international cooperation and the culture of peace."

Outraged deputies turned to President Emmanuel Macron, emphasising that the revocation of entry permits just 48 hours before departure "represents a serious break in diplomatic relations with France and undermines our mandates as elected representatives of the republic, which requires a clear position from the highest authorities of our state."

The incident occurred against the backdrop of rising tensions between Israel and France following Macron's statement about Paris's plans to recognise the State of Palestine in the coming months.

Israeli political analysts agreed to discuss the situation with a correspondent from Caliber.Az.

According to Israeli international expert, theologian, and rabbi Michael Finkel, France's position is not new. He reminded that just before the start of the Second Karabakh War, Emmanuel Macron had threatened to recognise the so-called "Artsakh" as an independent state.

"Just recently, Emmanuel Macron caused a massive scandal in Israel by announcing France's intention to recognise the State of Palestine this summer. Immediately after that, Benjamin Netanyahu's son, who is in the United States, wrote a very angry post on the social media platform X, emphasising that in that case, Israel would recognise the independence of many territories that are French colonies.

I would like to note that Benjamin Netanyahu's son's response was similar to Baku's position at the time, which stated that territories controlled by France, located hundreds and thousands of kilometres from its borders, could also be recognised as independent and supported.

Why is this important for Macron? France has a large Arab population—these are naturalised citizens with French passports, potential voters. Meanwhile, the Jewish population in France is estimated at around 500-600 thousand, whereas Arabs number in the millions. Therefore, when the French compare Arabs and Jews, Arabs are considered more important. This is simple, pragmatic politics.

The Palestinian issue, even if discussed from a hypocritical standpoint, is working to secure votes from the electorate.

Today, there is a new scandal— a group of ultra-left-wing political representatives from France, including communists, were scheduled to visit Israel. All of them are active supporters of pro-Palestinian rhetoric and planned to make public statements in Israel before heading to the Palestinian territories.

This concerns the Palestinian Authority, which is entirely dependent on Israel: with Israeli currency, water, electricity, and gas supplies, and an economy where many residents work in Israel. The purpose of the visit is to undermine Israel’s national security under the guise of talks about the freedom and independence of Palestine. Israel does not allow this.

It doesn't matter who is doing this. In 2013, Israel denied entry to American professor Noam Chomsky, known for his anti-Israel stance, even though he is of Jewish descent. The reason was the same—his intent to participate in anti-Israel propaganda. We always act consistently.

The French parliamentarians were declared persona non grata because their actions are directed against Israel. We have every right to defend our security," emphasised Finkel.

He also reminded that Israel had previously banned the entry of two American congresswomen—Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar—due to their support for the boycott movement against Israel.

"We don't let in enemies, regardless of their nationality, passport, or invitation. Let them be angry.

I am sure that this summer, France will not recognise the State of Palestine, just as it did not recognise 'Artsakh.' Israel has enough leverage over Paris. In my opinion, this is just a political show for the Arab electorate in France," the expert concluded.

Doctor of Philosophy, graduate of Harvard University's theological graduate school, and political scientist, Dmitry Radyshevsky, confirmed that Israel cancelled visas for 27 French parliamentarians, including deputies and local council members. According to him, the purpose of the visit was to meet with Palestinian public figures with an anti-Israel orientation. Israeli authorities rightly considered that the visit was aimed at preparing propaganda materials for European media and legal proceedings.

"Why should we let people into the country whose goal is to harm it? This decision will not lead to a serious deterioration of the already tense relations between Israel and France.

Although the delegation has appealed to Macron, I don’t think he will actively defend their interests. Most of them are representatives of far-left parties, such as the 'Greens' and Communists, who are not part of Macron's coalition. For him, their activities hold no significant political value.

Formal statements may only be made due to dependence on the Muslim electorate. France is home to around 9-10 million Muslims, making up 13% of the population. Among them, there are often sympathies for radical Islam and the Palestinian cause, which influences the country's politics.

Paris is trying to maintain influence in the Middle East through anti-Israel rhetoric. While this has little practical benefit, the Jewish community in France is becoming a hostage to the situation. Over the past 10 years, the Jewish population has decreased from 700,000 to fewer than 500,000.

For comparison, 500,000 Jews and 9 million Muslims with a different loyalty system present a serious challenge for France.

For Israel, it is significant that France's position on the international stage is weakening, especially after the change in U.S. policy under Trump.

The French elite is also influenced by the Armenian lobby, which explains its anti-Azerbaijani stance. However, both Israel and Azerbaijan are strong enough to handle such challenges.

Recently, Israel also banned the entry of two British parliamentarians due to their pro-Palestinian activities. So, the case with France is not an exception. France is simply the most Muslim country in Europe. Otherwise, as the saying goes, ‘the dog barks, but the caravan moves on,’" concluded Radyshevsky.