ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJUNE 5, 2026 16:21Updated: JUNE 5, 2026 16:43National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were banned from traveling to Ireland, Irish media reported on Friday.Reports cited Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who told reporters that he had heard from Ireland's Justice Ministry that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich had been banned.“Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, [it] is my understanding, has instructed his officials to prohibit any travel into Ireland [for] both minister Ben-Gvir and minister Smotrich,” said Martin.Reports further cited a spokesperson for O’Callaghan as concurring with Martin's statements, noting that Martin described the Israeli MKs' behavior as amounting to a "desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine.""In my view, their behavior justifies sanctions at the EU level as well, and that’s something that we will raise," added Martin. "Now, whether we can get sufficient support across the European Union is a different matter.”Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin takes the headphones to listen to a translation during a press conference at the foreign ministry in Budapest, Hungary, on June 4, 2026. (credit: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images)Ben-Gvir harassed detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla on May 20, himself sharing a video of the incident and causing a diplomatic storm for Israel.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Ben-Gvir's actions unacceptable, saying his actions were "not in line with Israel’s values and norms."Israeli ministers condemn Ben-GvirForeign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Ben-Gvir of damaging Israel's reputation, stating that the far-right MK is "not the face of Israel.""You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display - and not for the first time, "said Sa'ar. "You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people - from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry staff and many others."Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter further condemned Ben-Gvir's actions, accusing the MK of "reckless grandstanding.""I am Israel’s top diplomat in the US, at the heart of our most important alliance," said Leiter. "Ben Gvir’s antics take a sledgehammer to our diplomatic efforts while Israel’s enemies gleefully jump on every unfortunate nonsense to discredit and demonize."Corinne Baum and Reuters contributed to this report.Follow us on Google