French immigration authorities refused entry last week to Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, who had arrived in Paris for a series of meetings with elected officials, the Samaria Regional Council announced on Wednesday.
According to the council, Dagan was pulled aside at passport control at the Paris airport and taken for lengthy questioning. During the interview, an immigration officer showed him documents barring his entry and told him the decision was based on his position as head of the Samaria Regional Council, his work to build 35 communities in Judea and Samaria, and his involvement in efforts to promote a return to Gush Katif.
The Jerusalem Post, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported that the ban is an unusual step, with no previously known case of France barring the head of an Israeli regional council in Judea and Samaria. There was no immediate public comment from French authorities.
Responding to the incident, Dagan said he was "proud to be on the right side of history."
The move follows France's decision in May to ban National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory, part of a broader pattern of European pressure on Israeli officials over Judea and Samaria.
From Paris, Dagan traveled to Prague, where he spent three days meeting members of the Czech government, Senate and Parliament as part of his campaign to build a European coalition against proposed sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Jiří Oberfalzer, deputy chairman of the Czech Senate, voiced support for Samaria residents. "I stand with the residents of Samaria. I wish you success in defending your land. We stand with you," Oberfalzer said.
During the meetings, Dagan presented maps of Judea and Samaria and stressed the region's strategic importance to Israel's security. "Judea and Samaria is the future of Israel, and the guarantee of Europe's cultural and security survival," he told Czech officials. "We are one front, we will fight together, and we are going to win together."
