Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has received a five-year ban on entering Poland. The decision was made after the publication of a video featuring detained activists of the Global Sumud flotilla, among whom were Polish citizens.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has received a five-year ban on entering Poland.
This was announced on Thursday on social media by the head of the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs, Marcin Kerwiński, as reported by bb.lv. The reason for this decision was Ben-Gvir's behavior, who mocked the activists of the Global Sumud flotilla, which was detained by Israeli authorities. Among those detained were Polish citizens.
In a video posted by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday, he can be seen mocking the detained flotilla activists. The video shows several dozen activists kneeling on the ground while Ben-Gvir waves an Israeli flag and shouts in Hebrew: "Welcome to Israel, here we rule."
This video has drawn criticism from many countries. It was condemned by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as ministries from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy.
"Improper treatment of Polish citizens will always meet with an appropriate response... Itamar Ben-Gvir has already been officially banned from entering Poland," Kerwiński stated.
He noted that he and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski have already signed the relevant documents, and the entries in Polish systems have already taken effect.
Sikorski summoned the temporary chargé d'affaires of Israel in Warsaw due to the "unacceptable behavior of a representative of the Israeli government."
The scandal surrounding the actions of the Israeli minister has provoked international reactions and diplomatic tensions. Polish authorities stated that improper treatment of the country's citizens will not go unanswered, and the incident has already led to official measures from Warsaw.
