Asked to respond for the official record, Dagan declared: “I am proud to be a Jew and a Zionist who builds our historic homeland.”
By United with Israel Staff
Yossi Dagan, head of Israel’s Samaria Regional Council, was detained for questioning at an airport in Paris and denied entry to France, reportedly because of his role in expanding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
According to a statement about the incident, French immigration authorities informed Dagan that he would not be permitted to enter the country.
During questioning, an immigration officer reportedly explained that the decision was based on Dagan’s position as head of the Samaria Regional Council and his involvement in building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, including efforts to restore Jewish communities in Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip.
Asked to respond for the official record, Dagan declared: “I am proud to be a Jew and a Zionist who builds our historic homeland.”
Dagan, who has headed the Samaria Regional Council since 2015, is one of Israel’s most prominent advocates for expanding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and applying Israeli sovereignty to the territory.
He was himself evacuated from the northern Samaria community of Sa-Nur during Israel’s 2005 disengagement and has since played a leading role in efforts to restore communities dismantled during the withdrawal.
Dagan has also been a vocal advocate for reestablishing Jewish communities in Gaza, including Gush Katif, following the October 7 massacre.
The reported decision by French authorities comes amid longstanding European opposition to Israeli settlement construction in Judea and Samaria.
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