French mayor denied entry by Israeli authorities because he's a BDS supporter

This week, a French mayor was denied entry to the West Bank by Israeli authorities because of his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Patrice Leclerc, the mayor of Gennevilliers, a northern suburb in Paris, attempted to cross the Allenby Bridge, connecting Jordan and the West Bank, when authorities refused to let him in. 

"The decision not to let him into the country was made for a series of reasons in connection to his activity in the BDS movement and his promotion of boycotts against Israel," Israel's interior ministry said in a statement, according to Middle East Eye.

Gilad Erdan, Strategic Affairs Minister, blacklisted the mayor for being an advocate of the Palestinian cause.

In January, the municipality of Gennevilliers, led by Leclerc, voiced its recognition of the state of Palestine, citing a 2014 French parliament vote.

In a Facebook post following the incident, Leclerc explained that he had been detained at the border for six hours and interrogated six times before being denied entry to Palestinian territories. 

He then called on France to recognize the state of Palestine.

"In view of Israel's refusal to respect the various United Nations Resolutions, France must officially recognize the state of Palestine," he wrote.

This wouldn't be the first time the mayor gets sent back at the borders.

In November 2017, Leclerc was denied entry to Israel during a trip with a delegation of European officials who were expected to visit Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti in an Israeli prison.

Following Leclerc's most recent barring, France asked Israel not to "bar its elected officials from entering Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza," according to Times of Israel.

Last week, Israeli authorities attempted to bar a Dublin mayor, who is also a supporter of the BDS movement, from entering Israel. 

However, due to a typo in his name, Mac Donncha was cleared when passing through security and attended a conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah during his trip.

Prior to departing the country, Donncha was forced to sign a document "banning him from entering Israel without permission in the future," according to The Journal.

Earlier this year, Israel banned the representatives of 20 international NGOs from entering the country under the country's anti-BDS law.

This came over a year after Israel's parliament passed a law which denies entry to all supporters of "a boycott of the Jewish state," according to The Guardian.