France Halts Visa Renewals for El Al Security Staff in Paris as Gaza War Strains Relations
French authorities have stopped renewing work visas for El Al Israel Airlines security personnel stationed in Paris, a move linked to strained relations between France and Israel over the Gaza war. The decision, confirmed by Israeli officials on Monday, has left some employees working without valid permits and others forced to return to Israel.
For years, the security staff—classified as ITAN workers, meaning Israeli citizens supporting diplomatic missions—received visas through the Israeli Embassy, allowing them to live and work legally in France. But no renewals have been issued in the past six months. “In the past six months, none of the employees whose work visas expired have received renewals,” one El Al security guard in Paris said. “This has never happened before, and no one has been granted new approvals. It seems they are trying to end the employment of El Al security personnel in France.”
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Some staff have obtained short-term diplomatic visas, but others remain without legal status. El Al’s management has directed employees to the Foreign Ministry, which said, “The matter is being handled by the embassy in coordination with the French Foreign Ministry.” The French Embassy in Israel declined to comment.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reacted to the reports with surprise, writing on X, “Say it ain’t so, France. Say it ain’t so! What happened to France?”
The visa dispute comes as French-Israeli tensions have deepened. Last week, pro-Palestinian activists vandalized El Al’s Paris offices, spraying red paint and graffiti calling the carrier a “genocide airline” and demanding “Free Palestine.” In June, organizers at the Paris Air Show blocked the Israeli pavilion and covered it with black cloth.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been outspoken against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to take over Gaza, warning it would be “a disaster waiting to happen.” Macron has called for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the creation of a Palestinian state. He announced last month that France will formally recognize Palestinian statehood, with a ceremonial declaration planned for the UN General Assembly in September—a move that has prompted similar statements from other nations, including Australia and New Zealand.
