“Israel” Bars French Presidential Hopeful over Gaza Flotilla Pledge

By Staff, Agencies 

“Israel” has banned French left-wing presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon from entering Occupied Palestine after he vowed to deploy warships to escort activist flotillas seeking to break the blockade of entity.

The “Israeli” Foreign Ministry also imposed an entry ban on Mathilde Panot, the parliamentary leader of Melenchon’s La France Insoumise [LFI] party.

“Both have made statements spreading blood libels against ‘Israel’, while Jean-Luc Melenchon has also called for French naval vessels to escort illegal flotillas to Gaza,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

 “‘Israel’ will respond firmly to those who seek to harm it.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called the move “a demagogic decision made by a government that has repeatedly violated international law.” He argued that the ban will only help LFI to “thrive on exploiting the ‘Israeli’-Palestinian conflict for political gain.”

According to recent opinion polls, Melenchon ranks second behind Marine Le Pen of the right-wing National Rally [RN] in voting intentions for the 2027 presidential election. LFI is one of the largest opposition parties in the French parliament.

A vocal critic of "Israel", Melenchon has pledged to “take direct action” to support Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank if elected president.

“French naval vessels will, if necessary, escort flotillas of citizens mobilized to assert their rights,” he said on Saturday, referring to civilian boats attempting to reach Gaza. “Israel” has repeatedly brutally intercepted the flotillas at sea and deported foreign activists.

Melenchon said on Thursday that he has never sought to enter "Israel" and reiterated his accusations of “genocide in Gaza,” as well as his opposition to the expansion of "Israeli" settlements in the occupied West Bank, and the gradual annexation of southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights.