Published On 6/5/2026
On Friday, Ireland banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country due to the war on the Gaza Strip.
A statement by the Irish Ministry of Justice, reported by Agence France-Presse, said that Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan directed immigration agents to prevent the entry of Ben Gvir and Smotrich if they tried to enter the country.
After Ben Gvir published a video showing abuse of activists arrested by Israel while participating in the “Resilience Flotilla” to transport aid to Gaza by sea last month, Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin said that his country would take measures to prevent the entry of Israeli officials who are seen as inciting war in the Palestinian Strip.
Ben Gvir, known for his extremist positions, became a minister in 2022, after his alliance with the far-right Religious Zionism Party led by Bezalel Smotrich came in third place in the legislative elections.
Together, Ben Gvir and Smotrich form a cornerstone of the right-wing coalition government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Martin told reporters during a summit in Montenegro – today, Friday – that the behavior of the two ministers “is not only in the context of the fleet, but their consistent statements… essentially amount to a desire to distance the Palestinians from Palestine.”
He added, “In my opinion, their behavior justifies the imposition of sanctions at the European Union level as well.”
Last month, France banned Ben Gvir from entering its territory due to his behavior. Britain had banned the two ministers from entering its territory in June 2025, and other countries followed suit, including Spain and Slovenia.
Ireland is among the countries most critical of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and recognized the State of Palestine in 2024.
Shortly after the recognition, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin, denouncing Ireland’s “extremist anti-Israel policies.”
