France Denies Entry to Israeli Samaria Council Head Yossi Dagan

French authorities refused to allow Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan to enter the country after he landed in Paris for a series of meetings with elected officials, i24NEWS reported on Wednesday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

According to the report, Dagan was detained at border control and subjected to lengthy questioning, during which officials presented documents outlining the reasons for denying him entry. The stated grounds included his position as head of the Samaria Regional Council, his involvement in the construction of 35 communities in Samaria, and his efforts to promote renewed Jewish settlement in Gush Katif.

Israel's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the decision, describing it as politically motivated. "Israel views with great severity France's decision to prohibit the entry of a law-abiding Israeli elected official on clearly political and ideological grounds," the ministry said. "This is a completely unacceptable step. Israel will demand explanations from the French government and will consider its next steps accordingly."

Responding to the decision, Dagan reportedly told an immigration officer: "I am proud to be a Jew and a Zionist and to build the historic homeland of the Jewish people. I am proud to be on the right side of history."

The incident represents an unusual diplomatic development, with no widely known previous cases of a Western country directly denying entry to a regional council head from Judea and Samaria on the basis of his activities.

Dagan Receives Support From Czech Officials

After being denied entry to France, Dagan traveled to Prague, where he spent three days meeting senior officials in the Czech government, Senate, and parliament. The visit was aimed at strengthening international support for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and opposing initiatives to impose sanctions.

During the meetings, several Czech officials expressed support for Dagan and the residents of Samaria. Andrej Knotek, chairman of the Czech ruling party's delegation in the European Parliament, emphasized the broader significance of Israeli sovereignty in the region. "Sovereignty in your region is extremely important, not only for you, but also for Europe as a whole and the Western world," Knotek said.

Czech Senate Vice President Jiří Oberfalzer also voiced his support, stating: "I stand with the residents of Samaria. I wish you success in protecting your land. We are on your side." Czech parliamentarian Miroslav Janulík added: "On behalf of the Czech parliament, I thank the people of Samaria."

Concluding his visit, Dagan emphasized what he described as the shared security and cultural interests of Israel and Europe. "Judea and Samaria are Israel's future and the guarantee of Europe's cultural and security existence," he declared. "We are on the same front, we will fight together, and we will win together."