Two Israeli ministers banned from entering Ireland, Taoiseach says

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

Two Israeli ministers have been banned from travelling into Ireland, the Taoiseach has said.

On Friday, the Taoiseach said the Minister for Justice had “instructed his officials to prohibit any travel into Ireland” for both Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Micheál Martin said statements the two men have made 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.”

Ben-Gvir serves as Israel’s national security minister, while Mr Smotrich is the country’s minister for finance and both were previously sanctioned by the UK for “inciting violence against Palestinian people”.

Martin also referenced Mr Ben-Gvir’s behaviour toward activists who were held after Israeli forces intercepted an aid flotilla last month.

14 Irish citizens, including President Catherine Connolly’s sister, were among those taken to Israel, detained and subsequently deported.

There was 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.

The video also contained footage of some people kneeling on the ground in tightly packed groups with their hands tied behind their backs.