Israel bars two Swedish MEPs from entry ahead of planned visit

Israel has barred two Swedish members of the European Parliament from entering the country, according to reports from the Middle East Monitor and the Jerusalem Post. The decision, made at the request of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, prevents Jonas Sjöstedt and Hanna Gedin, both of Sweden’s Left Party, from traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Middle East Monitor reported that the two MEPs say they were prevented from boarding a flight from Athens to Tel Aviv on Sunday, despite holding entry permits and supporting documentation. They had planned to travel to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, where they were due to meet representatives of the NGO Save the Children, visit refugee camps, and speak with Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the ban was implemented through the Population and Immigration Authority under Israel’s Entry Law, and that the two were scheduled to arrive in Israel overnight.

Official rationale

According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, as cited by the Jerusalem Post, Sjöstedt and Gedin have “consistently acted against Israel in recent years, including by calling for international legal proceedings to be advanced against Israelis.” The ministry also said the MEPs made “false accusations against Israel, including claims of genocide, deliberate starvation, and the intentional targeting of children and medical personnel.”

The Jerusalem Post noted that Sjöstedt has repeatedly taken a strongly critical position toward Israel, calling its conduct in Gaza “genocide,” advocating an EU arms embargo and sanctions against Israeli officials, and describing Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians as a “cruel occupation.” It also noted that Sjöstedt has explicitly recognized Israel’s right to exist and condemned the October 7 Hamas attack. Gedin has similarly advocated EU pressure and sanctions against Israel over the Gaza war. Both were among MEPs who signed a May 2026 letter seeking access to Gaza.

MEPs’ response

The MEPs themselves, as reported by the Middle East Monitor, said they were barred for political reasons because of their criticism of Israel and their calls for Israeli government ministers to be brought before the International Criminal Court. Sjöstedt said in a statement, “Israel is increasingly preventing people from entering the country, even members of parliament.”

Gedin said it is unacceptable for Israel to prevent elected European officials from seeing conditions on the ground and meeting people affected by them while Israeli politicians continued to travel freely in Europe.

The Left group in the European Parliament said it had informed the EP President’s Office about the incident and described the refusal of entry as an attack on the institutions of the EU.

Broader context

The Middle East Monitor reported that the incident comes as the Left group says ethnic cleansing in Palestine is continuing and amid concerns over negotiations by the European Commission on the sharing of biometric and personal data with Israeli security services. The same report noted that Israel continues to block agreed quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies, shelter materials, and prefabricated homes from entering Gaza, where around 2.4 million Palestinians live, including 2.15 million displaced people, under catastrophic conditions. It also reported that ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire have killed 1,286 Palestinians and injured 4,257 as of Sunday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Jerusalem Post did not include these figures in its coverage.