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Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Israel Revokes Visas of 27 French Politicians and Officials
Israel has canceled the visas of 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials who had been scheduled to arrive this past weekend to tour Israel and the Palestinian territories. Members of the delegation from France's Ecologist Party and Communist Party, in a joint statement on April 20, called the move a 'collective punishment' by Israel and called for French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene, according to the Ha'aretz newspaper. They said they had been invited on a five-day trip by the French consulate in Jerusalem and that the visas had been approved a month earlier. They had intended to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories to 'strengthen international and the culture of peace,' according to The Times of Israel. The group was set to land in Israel on April 20 but received word on April 17 that Israel had annulled their visas, Paris councilor and Ecologist Party member Camille Naget told Ha'aretz. Their visit would have coincided with a global 'Day of Rage' set for April 22 and led by pro-Palestinian groups in countries around the world, according to the Israeli government. Related Stories 4/16/2025 4/2/2025 The government warned of the risk of violent incidents against Israelis and expressed concerns that terrorists might use the demonstrations as cover for attacks. It urged Israelis abroad to remain vigilant and avoid publicly displaying Israeli national symbols. Macron said on April 9 that France could recognize a Palestinian state as early as June, perhaps in return for other Middle Eastern states recognizing Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed strong opposition to the proposal. He said doing so in the wake of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, massacre that began the current war was tantamount to 'a huge reward for terrorism,' according to The Times of Israel. In the Oct. 7 attack, more than 3,000 Hamas terrorists attacked dozens of Israeli communities and military outposts near the Gaza frontier. They killed 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, wounded thousands, and took 251 hostages back to Gaza with them. Israel's retaliatory counterattack on Hamas in Gaza turned into the ongoing war. Gazan health authorities say 50,000 people have been killed in the war. Israel says almost half of those were members of Hamas. Israel's interior ministry said the 27 politicians and officials were barred under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state, according to The Times of Israel. On April 21, The Epoch Times contacted Israel's Interior Ministry for confirmation and has not yet received a response. Israeli Prime Minister's office spokesman David Mencer did not address the matter in a virtual press conference on April 21. France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2R) next to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (C) and France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot on April 17, 2025. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images The group included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere, and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist Party; Communist Party senator Marianne Margate; and Communist Party deputy Soumya Bourouaha. The other members were left-wing mayors and local lawmakers, according to The Times of Israel. Of the group, 17 were members of the Ecologist or Communist parties. In its statement, the group denounced the ban as a 'major rupture in diplomatic ties' and said the move requires 'consequences,' according to The Times of Israel. It said the two parties have called for recognition of a Palestinian state for decades. Israel recently blocked other foreign lawmakers from entry as well. Earlier in April, it detained two British Members of Parliament, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, at Ben Gurion 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.
Middle East Eye
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel revokes visas of 27 French lawmakers and officials
Israel revoked the entry visas of 27 French lawmakers and officials just two days before their scheduled visit to the state and the occupied West Bank, the delegation has said. Seventeen members of the group, including representatives from France's Ecologist Party and the French Communist Party, condemned the move as 'collective punishment' on Sunday and called on French President Emmanuel Macron to respond. 'The revocation of our permits to enter Israel 48 hours before our departure is a major breach of diplomatic ties with the French state and of our mandates as elected representatives of the republic,' the delegation said in a statement, according to Haaretz. 'It requires an unequivocal stance from the highest authorities of our state.' Haaretz reported that the group had been due to arrive on Sunday and was informed of the decision the previous Thursday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The French consulate in Jerusalem had organised the five-day visit to promote 'international cooperation and a culture of peace' across Israel and the Palestinian territories, the delegation said. Israel's Interior Ministry defended the decision, citing a law that allows authorities to deny entry to individuals who have publicly called for or participated in boycotts of Israel. The ministry claimed the delegation aimed to 'show support for the Palestinians and for an organisation that promotes a boycott of Israel and is working to remove Hamas from the terror organisation list.' UK Labour MPs 'astounded' to be detained and deported from Israel Read More » Camille Naget, a Paris councillor and member of the Ecologist Party, told Haaretz she was unaware of any such boycott calls made by the AJPF organisation the ministry was referring to, which she said promotes relations between French municipalities and Palestinian refugee camps, and denied it ever advocating for Hamas to be removed from the list of terror organisations. The visa revocations come amid escalating diplomatic tensions, following recent remarks by Macron suggesting that France may soon recognise a Palestinian state. He has also publicly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Ecologist and Communist parties have long backed the recognition of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu responded angrily to Macron's comments, calling the potential recognition 'a huge reward for terrorism'. Earlier this month, Israel also barred entry to two British Labour Party MPs, drawing criticism from UK officials.
Euronews
21-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
French lawmakers back tax on ultra-rich proposed by Ecologist Party
French lawmakers in the National Assembly have voted in favour of a 2% wealth tax on the assets of the super-rich. The bill, adopted by 116 votes to 39, was proposed by the Ecologist Party and supported by green and left-wing MPs on Thursday evening. Lawmakers from the far-right National Rally party abstained, while turnout from the centrist government was low. Although the bill has passed a key legislative hurdle, it's not expected to pass through the Senate. Tackling tax optimisation The so-called 'Zucman tax', named after economist Gabriel Zucman, would impose a minimum tax on the richest 0.01% of France's citizens. More specifically, it would apply to around 4,000 people in France with assets of more than €100 million. This could bring in between €15 and €25 billion per year, according to the proposal. Proponents also underlined that this minimum tax would only apply to citizens who aren't paying enough tax already, topping up gaps in contributions. Due to tax optimisation strategies, they argued that the super rich in France are currently paying proportionally less tax than the majority of citizens. The bill therefore includes provisions targeting trusts and holding companies that are often used to lower tax contributions. The ethics and the economics 'Tax immunity for billionaires is over,' lawmaker Éva Sas of the Ecologist party said, commenting on the vote's passage. Amélie de Montchalin, Budget Minister in the incumbent government, took a different approach, labelling the proposal "confiscatory and ineffective". The tax 'would have one grave consequence for our country and that is that the investment, entrepreneurship and corporate growth that we are trying to promote because it's good for the French, for jobs and everyone's wealth, would drop, and that's not tolerable,' Montchalin said on Friday in an interview with media channel TF1. Montchalin added that the government is currently working on an alternative strategy to tackle tax optimisation strategies. Macron, wealth champion? While the driving aims of President Emmanuel Macron have shifted over his two-term tenure, France's leader has continuously presented himself as a pro-business champion. Since 2017, the President has reduced the corporate tax rate, made it easier for firms to hire and fire workers, and scrapped the ISF wealth levy. In 2018, the ISF was replaced with the IFI, which only taxes real estate assets and not investments. Supporters of the move argued it would boost investment in more useful parts of the economy and encourage wealthy individuals to remain in the country. This would then drive economic growth and job creation. A committee reviewing the tax reform in 2023 nonetheless found that it had not affected the redirection of wealth away from real estate. France is currently home to the world's fifth richest man and the CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault - worth around $195bn or €186bn.
