A pro-BDS demonstration. Photo: FOA / Facebook.

JNS.org – Israel said on Monday it will bar the entry of seven European officials due to their efforts to promote boycotts of the Jewish state.

The officials, who are all French, are part of a larger delegation of 20 European dignitaries scheduled to visit Israel and the disputed territories from Nov. 19-23. They had announced that one of the primary goals of the trip was to meet high-profile Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who is currently serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail, as well as offer support for other Palestinian prisoners.

“This is not the first time that I have prevented the entry of boycott activists who are against Israel,” Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said. “This time, however, we are talking about a senior group of European officials who come to act against Israel.”

Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said he was particularly concerned about the European group’s request to meet with Barghouti.

“These are senior politicians who support a boycott against Israel and are actively advancing it,” he said.