Israel bars 2 Swedish MEPs from entering country over alleged anti-Israel activity

Israel will bar two Swedish members of the European Parliament from entering the country over what the Foreign Ministry described as anti-Israel activity, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar asked the Population and Immigration Authority to deny entry to Jonas Sjöstedt and Hanna Gedin, both members of Sweden’s Left Party, under the Law for Entry into Israel, which stipulates that foreign nationals can be blocked from entering the country if they publicly call for a boycott of Israel; deny the Holocaust; deny the October 7, 2023, massacres; or publicly support putting Israeli citizens on trial in foreign courts for war crimes.

The Knesset expanded the entry ban in February 2025, extending an existing prohibition on entry for those advocating boycotts against Israel to people who deny the Holocaust or the October 7 massacre, as well as those who advocate prosecuting Israelis for actions taken during their service in the IDF or other security agencies.

The two lawmakers, who were due to arrive in Israel Sunday night, had reportedly planned to visit Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.

Sa’ar’s office said Sjöstedt and Gedin have “consistently acted against Israel” in recent years, including by “calling for the advancement of international legal proceedings against Israelis.”

Sa’ar also accused the two lawmakers of spreading “false accusations” against Israel, including allegations of genocide and deliberate starvation in Gaza, as well as claims that Israel intentionally targets children and medical personnel.

Israel has previously barred foreign lawmakers from entering the country. In February 2025, a delegation of European Parliament members canceled its trip to Jerusalem and Ramallah after Israel barred two lawmakers and two staffers from entering the country.

Two months later, in April 2025, two British Labour MPs were stopped at Ben Gurion Airport and denied entry to Israel.

Later that month, Israel canceled the entry visas of 27 left-wing French lawmakers and local officials shortly before they were due to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Interior Ministry at the time cited legislation allowing authorities to deny entry to foreign nationals deemed likely to act against the State of Israel.