Two Israeli ministers have been formally prohibited from travelling to Ireland, the Taoiseach has confirmed.
On Friday, Micheál Martin said the Minister for Justice had “instructed his officials to prohibit any travel into Ireland” for both Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, reports Breaking News.
Martin said the statements made by both men about Palestinians “essentially amount to a desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine.”
He added: “In my view their behaviour justifies sanctions at EU level as well, and that’s something that we will raise, whether we can get sufficient support across the European Union is a different matter,” reports Breaking News.
Ben-Gvir serves as Israel’s National Security Minister while Smotrich is the country’s Finance Minister, and both had previously been sanctioned by the United Kingdom for “inciting violence against Palestinian people.”
Martin also referenced Ben-Gvir’s conduct toward activists detained after Israeli forces intercepted an aid flotilla last month, reports Breaking News.
Fourteen Irish citizens, including President Catherine Connolly’s sister, were among those taken to Israel, detained and subsequently deported.
There was widespread international condemnation of a social media video posted by Ben-Gvir showing him walking among some of the detainees and saying they should remain in prison for a long time, reports Breaking News.
The footage also showed people kneeling on the ground in tightly packed groups with their hands tied behind their backs, reports Breaking News.
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