Israel cancels visas for pro-Palestine French MPs

Israel has revoked entry visas for left-wing French lawmakers who supported the recognition of a Palestinian state.

The move comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron said recognition could take place at an international conference in June – a proposal condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a “huge reward for terrorism.”

The group of 27 politicians included members of France’s Ecologist and Communist parties, along with local officials and mayors. Among them were National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere, and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha, and Communist Senator Marianne Margate.

The politicians said on Sunday that they were invited by the French consulate in Jerusalem for a five-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, described as a mission to “strengthen international cooperation and the culture of peace.”

“For the first time, two days before our departure, the Israeli authorities canceled our entry visas that had been approved one month ago,” the lawmakers said in their statement, calling the decision “collective punishment.”

They described the visa ban as a “major rupture in diplomatic ties” and urged Macron to respond.

“Deliberately preventing elected officials and parliamentarians from traveling cannot be without consequences,” they added…