Israel Cancels Visas for French Lawmakers

French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
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Israel Cancels Visas for French Lawmakers

French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French Ecologist party deputy Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

Israel's government cancelled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before they were to start a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, the group said.
The action came only days after Israel stopped two British members of parliament from the governing Labor party from entering the country, AFP said.
It also came amidst diplomatic tensions after President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon recognize a Palestinian state. Macron has in turn sought to pressure Netanyahu over conditions in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's interior ministry said visas for the 27 had been cancelled under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state of Israel.

Seventeen members of the group, from France's Ecologist and Communist parties, said they had been victims of "collective punishment" by Israel and called on Macron to intervene.

They said in a statement that they had been invited on a five-day trip by the French consulate in Jerusalem.

They had intended to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories as part of their mission to "strengthen international cooperation and the culture of peace", they added.

"For the first time, two days before our departure, the Israeli authorities cancelled our entry visas that had been approved one month ago," they said.

"We want to understand what led to this sudden decision, which resembles collective punishment," said the group.

'Major rupture'
The delegation included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha and Communist senator Marianne Margate.

The other members were left-wing town mayors and local lawmakers.

The statement denounced the ban as a "major rupture in diplomatic ties".

"Deliberately preventing elected officials and parliamentarians from travelling cannot be without consequences," the group said, demanding a meeting with Macron and action by the government to ensure Israel let them into the country.

The group said their parties had for decades called for recognition of a Palestinian state, which Macron said last week could come at an international conference in June.

Israeli authorities this month detained British members of parliament Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed at Tel Aviv airport and deported them, citing the same reason. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the action "unacceptable".

In February, Israel stopped two left-wing European parliament deputies, Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan and Lynn Boylan from Ireland, from entering.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted with fury to France's possible recognition of a Palestinian state. He said establishing a Palestinian state next to Israel would be a "huge reward for terrorism".



France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
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France's Navy Intercepts an Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean Sailing from Russia

FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P
FILE PHOTO: Tugboat escorts French Navy frigate Vendemiaire on arrival for a 5-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo P

France’s Navy, working with intelligence provided by the United Kingdom, on Thursday intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet, officials said, Reuters reported.

French maritime authorities for the Mediterranean said the ship, the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag.

The French Navy is escorting the ship to port for more checks, the statement said.


Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
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Zelensky Says Meeting with Trump in Davos was 'Very Good'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to wounded Ukrainian soldiers during a visit at Staten Island University Hospital, in New York, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a "very good" meeting with US President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday.

"We spoke about documents and about air defense," Zelensky told reporters briefly without elaborating before addressing the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort.

Zelenskiy also said he ​discussed progress on peace talks.

"We discussed the work of our teams, and practically every there are meetings ⁠or communication," Zelenskiy ‌wrote on X, adding ‍that ‍the documents ‍being negotiated by Kyiv and Washington were "now even better prepared".

"Our ​previous meeting with President Trump helped ⁠strengthen the protection of our skies, and I hope that this time we will reinforce it further as well."


France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
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France Says Won't Join Peace Board for Now, Partly Contrary to UN Charter

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a ministerial meeting on the implementation of the Middle East peace plan at the Quai d'Orsay, in Paris, France October 9, 2025. Thomas Samson/Pool via REUTERS

France will not join US President ​Donald Trump's Board of Peace for now because its charter does not correspond with ‌a UN ‌resolution ‌to ⁠resolve the ​war ‌in Gaza, and some of the charter's elements were contrary to the UN charter, ⁠its foreign ministry ‌spokesman said on ‍Thursday, Reuters reported.

"It ‍was not corresponding ‍on the one hand with the pure Gaza mandate, which ​is not even mentioned, and ⁠on the other hand, there are elements of this charter which are contrary to the United Nations charter," Pascal Confavreux told reporters.

According to The AP news, the new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious — and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass.