Ireland bans Smotrich, Ben Gvir for anti-Palestinian remarks, flotilla actions

Irish PM cast comments by ministers as pushing for ‘elimination of Palestinians from Palestine,’ says behavior justifies sanctions at EU level

DUBLIN — Ireland announced on Friday that it has banned Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, slamming their behavior towards Gaza flotilla activists.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan “has instructed immigration officers to refuse entry to Itamar Ben Gvir — Minister for National Security of Israel, and Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance of Israel — should they seek to enter the state,” a justice ministry statement sent to AFP said.

After the far-right minister Ben Gvir tormented activists seized by Israel on a Gaza-bound flotilla last month, Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin said Ireland would act to bar the entry of Israeli officials seen as fomenting conflict in Gaza.

Firebrand Ben Gvir became a minister in 2022, after an alliance with the far-right Religious Zionist party of Bezalel Smotrich came third in legislative elections.

Together, Ben Gvir and Smotrich form a cornerstone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition government.

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The two ministers’ behavior “not just in the context of the flotilla, but their consistent statements… essentially amount to a desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine,” Martin told reporters during a summit in Montenegro on Friday.

“In my view, their behavior justifies sanctions at the EU level as well,” he said.

Israeli forces arrested 430 people on board 50 ships in international waters last month to halt a flotilla of activists trying to break the blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza. The next day, Ben Gvir released a video in which he could be seen taunting the activists as they knelt on the floor, hands bound, immediately sparking an international outcry.

Organizers claimed that several deported flotilla activists were hospitalized with injuries from Israeli custody and at least 15 reported sexual assaults, including rape. The Israel Prison Service denied the allegations, saying all detained activists were held “in accordance with the law, with full regard for their basic rights,” and received necessary and professional medical care.

Smotrich — who wields ministerial powers over the West Bank from within the Defense Ministry — has worked to expand settlements and advocated for annexation of parts of the territory.

“If this antisemite calls for sanctions against me, I probably did something right,” Ben Gvir posted on X in response to Ireland’s announcement.

Last month, France also banned Ben Gvir from entry over his conduct. Britain barred the two from entering in June 2025, and other countries have followed, including Spain and Slovenia.

Ireland has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s campaign in Gaza in the wake of the deadly October 2023 Hamas-led massacre on Israel, and recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024.

Soon after, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the Dublin embassy, blaming Ireland’s “extreme anti-Israel policies.”

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