Israel Bars Mélenchon and Panot From Entering Over LFI Remarks

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister and Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar had ordered the measure, citing what it described as “the extreme anti-Israel policies” of La France Insoumise, known in English as France Unbowed, and “outrageous statements” by its senior members.

The ministry named Mélenchon, the party’s leader and a candidate in France’s 2027 presidential election, and Mathilde Panot, who chairs the LFI group in the National Assembly.

It accused the two politicians of having “leveled blood libels against Israel.” It also pointed to Mélenchon’s call “to deploy French ships to accompany the illegal flotillas to Gaza.”

Ministry Cites Flotilla Pledge

Mélenchon pledged last Saturday that French ships would, if necessary, escort civilian flotillas if he won the presidency, Clash Report reported. He made the remarks at a campaign rally in Le Bourget, near Paris.

The ministry called those sailings “illegal flotillas.” Its statement did not say that Mélenchon or Panot had planned a visit to Israel, and it did not cite a specific statute.

Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka criticized the Le Bourget remarks on X, writing that they would have “done honor to one of his predecessors in the European fascist movements of the 1930s.”

LFI last week published a 2027 program that called for sanctions on Israel’s government and for the suspension of the European Union’s association agreement with Israel. Thursday’s statement did not quote that document.

Ban Covers Panot as Well

Panot, a member of the National Assembly, leads LFI’s parliamentary group. The ministry listed her among the “senior members” whose remarks it cited, alongside Mélenchon.

Sa’ar holds both the foreign and interior portfolios. The ministry said Israel “will not allow entry to individuals who act against Israel and its citizens or incite against them.”

AFP reported that Israel had banned Mélenchon from entering the country. The ministry’s statement, quoted in full by i24NEWS diplomatic correspondent Guy Azriel, made clear that the order also applied to Panot. Amichai Stein, another i24NEWS diplomatic correspondent, reported the same decision independently.

No Immediate Response From Paris

Neither Mélenchon, Panot nor La France Insoumise had issued a public response after the announcement. The French government had also not commented.

Mélenchon has previously said that Israel interfered in French elections and that nobody was punished. Thursday’s statement did not refer to those claims.