France Denies Entry to Israeli Settler Leader Yossi Dagan

In response to the interrogation, Dagan stated that he is proud to be a Jew and a Zionist building the historic homeland of the Jewish people. He also noted that he corrected the French officer by stating there are 50 communities under his council, rather than the 35 cited in the documents. Following his refusal of entry and return to Israel, Dagan traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, for a three-day diplomatic visit. During his meetings with Czech government ministers, senators, and parliament members, Dagan received strong expressions of support, with some officials calling the residents of Shomron a front line defending Europe.

Israel's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the French decision, calling it an unacceptable political and ideological move against a law-abiding public representative. The ministry announced that Israel is demanding explanations from the French government and will determine its next steps based on the response. Meanwhile, Kan News reported that diplomatic sources and representatives of Dagan initially described the move as highly unusual, raising questions about whether the ban represents a personal restriction or a broader French policy toward Israeli officials.