Israel deports journalist Alice Froussard after Ben Gurion Airport entry refusal

Israeli authorities deported French journalist Alice Froussard on Thursday, after refusing entry at Ben Gurion Airport. Radio France Internationale and the Foreign Press Association in Israel confirmed the move. Alice Froussard had worked for years in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israeli officials did not publicly detail the reasons for the deportation.

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Radio France Internationale said Alice Froussard landed on Wednesday on a flight from Paris to Tel Aviv. RFI said Alice Froussard held the required travel authorisation. RFI also said a press visa application was filed. The request was to work in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. After questioning, Alice Froussard was held and returned to France.

Israeli authorities and Alice Froussard deportation

RFI said Israeli authorities gave no explanation for the decision. The network said this lack of reasons was shared with RFI directly. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said France activated diplomatic support channels. Pascal Confavreux also said the deportation decision remained under Israeli sovereign authority.

Several Israeli media outlets cited the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. The reports said the ministry advised denying entry to Alice Froussard. The reports linked the advice to coverage critical of Israeli actions. The reports also mentioned Gaza and the West Bank. They also cited use of the word apartheid.

In a post on X, Minister Amichai Chikli welcomed the deportation. "I am pleased to announce that at this very moment, Alice Froussard, a French journalist who supports Hamas, and who claims that the October 7 massacre must be viewed in context, is making her way from Ben Gurion Airport back to Paris,\" he wrote.

Foreign Press Association and Alice Froussard reaction

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international journalists working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, criticised the claims. The group called the allegations against Alice Froussard outrageous. It also said this type of decision has happened before. \"This is not the first case in which the Israeli government decides that the journalist coverage is one-sided,\" the FPA said.

The deportation of a foreign journalist is described as unusual, though it has occurred before. Press freedom groups have criticised Israel over attacks on journalists since the Gaza war began. That war started on Oct 7, 2023. Hamas and other militant groups attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people.

The same Oct 7, 2023 attack included the abduction of 251 people. Since that date, Israeli forces have killed 259 media workers and journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The CPJ is a nonprofit that supports press freedom worldwide. The deaths were mostly in Gaza, and also in Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.

RFI and the Foreign Press Association said Alice Froussard had been reporting in the region for years. The case now centres on the entry refusal, the lack of an official explanation, and the public comments by Amichai Chikli. France said it offered diplomatic support, while noting Israel’s authority over border decisions.

With inputs from PTI