From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Israel bars 2 Swedish MEPs from entering country over alleged anti-Israel activity
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
Israel will bar two Swedish members of the European Parliament from entering the country over what the Foreign Ministry describes as anti-Israel activity, the ministry says in a statement.
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 denied entry into Israel 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 two lawmakers, who were due to arrive in Israel tonight, had allegedly planned to visit Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
Sa’ar’s office says Sjöstedt and Gedin have “consistently acted against Israel” in recent years, including by “calling for the advancement of international legal proceedings against Israelis.”
It also accuses 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.
The Times of Israel Community.