European Parliament Member Barred From Entering Israel

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel prohibited the entry of European Parliament member Rima Hassan on Monday, after she landed in Israel as part of a European Union delegation.

Hassan, a French citizen of Palestinian descent, has extensively promoted boycotts against Israel, with Israeli law allowing such individuals to be prevented from entering the country.

Hassan has publicly called for a boycott of commercial companies operating in Israel, participated in initiatives to boycott Israel, and published content encouraging the imposition of sanctions against the country. 

These include:

• On May 31, 2024, calling to boycott the French channel TF1 due to an interview conducted with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

• On February 18, 2025, expressing support for a boycott of the Starbucks coffee chain for its alleged “complicit in the murder of the people in Gaza.”

• On September 12, 2024, calling to boycott the Carrefour food chain due to its operations in Israel.

• On July 23, 2024, equating Israel with the apartheid regime in South Africa, calling for a total boycott against it.

“The State of Israel is not obligated to allow the entry of any official from a foreign country, including members of parliament, if he is working for its boycott and undermining its legitimacy,” Chikli said. “Rima Hassan, a member of the European Union Parliament, leads malicious campaigns against Israel, calls for boycotts, and encourages economic sanctions against her. Israel will not provide a stage or legitimacy for those acting against it, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to prevent the exploitation of our democracy for anti-Israeli purposes. The sovereignty of Israel is not ownerless, and we will defend it resolutely.”