France Denies Entry to Israeli Council Head Over Settlement Activity

Yossi Dagan, the head of the Shomron Regional Council, reported that French authorities denied him entry into the country due to his involvement in developing Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. The incident occurred last week at Paris airport, where Dagan was detained for additional checks at passport control before being informed of the entry ban. According to Dagan, he was presented with a document citing his activities as head of the Shomron Regional Council, his role in establishing 35 Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, and his support for rebuilding settlements in Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip as reasons for the decision. "I am proud to be a Jew and a Zionist and to build the historical homeland of the Jewish people. I am proud to be on the right side of history," Dagan stated. Following the denial of entry to France, he traveled to the Czech Republic for meetings with government and parliamentary representatives. French publication IsraJ noted that French authorities have not yet officially commented on the incident, with the reasons for the ban being known only from Dagan's account.