France has criticized as "demagogic" a decision by Israel to ban French hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon and another leading figure in his France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) party from entering the country.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it would bar Melenchon and Mathilde Panot, the party’s parliamentary group chair, over "the extreme anti-Israel stance of La France Insoumise party and the outrageous statements made by its leaders."
"This demagogic decision, coming from a government that has repeatedly violated international law, plays into the hands of those who, like La France Insoumise, thrive on exploiting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on X/Twitter.
"France will continue to work tirelessly toward a two-state solution and the peaceful coexistence of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” he said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that both Melenchon and Panot had made statements spreading "blood libels" against Israel, and that Melenchon had called for French ships to escort illegal flotillas to Gaza.
"Israel will respond firmly to those who seek to harm it and will not allow individuals who act against Israel and incite against its citizens to enter the country," it said.
Melenchon says French vessels would aid activists seeking to enter Gaza
Melenchon told Franceinfo radio: "I am banned from entering a territory I did not ask to enter... I regret that the Israeli government is pursuing me like this."
In a campaign speech last Saturday, Melenchon made clear that, if he were elected president, French vessels would accompany activists hoping to force aid into the Gaza Strip.