Israel Weighs Entry Bans for Activists and Groups Over European Sanctions
Israel considers entry bans for foreign activists and organizations following British and European sanctions. The Population and Immigration Authority will review a ministerial request targeting boycott proponents.
The Israeli government is continuing its counter-measures in response to decisions by several European nations, led by Great Britain, to impose sanctions on trade with companies and individuals in the West Bank.
The Population and Immigration Authority announced on Wednesday that it will review and consider the request of Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli to ban a series of organizations and individuals from entering Israel.
In a letter sent by Chikli to the Population and Immigration Authority, he stated that these organizations have actively worked to establish and strengthen the boycott against Israel and have undermined its legitimacy.
Ministry of Diaspora Affairs Director-General Avi Cohen-Scali detailed the names of the individuals and organizations whose entry into Israel should be blocked in a letter sent to the Population and Immigration Authority, based on their past activities and statements.
Among the organizations whose activities were examined and whose representatives the ministry recommended banning from entry are the designated organization Islamic Relief Worldwide and the designated organization Palestine Action.
The Population and Immigration Authority decided that a separate review of the materials, activities, and relevant statements will be conducted for each organization and person, and a decision will be made accordingly.
Part of the BDS Campaign
The letter further elaborates that these organizations have carried out extensive activities in the international and British arenas over the years regarding issues concerning Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including promoting campaigns and political and economic pressure against the State of Israel, supporting boycott and sanctions measures, and campaigning against commercial and security ties with Israel.
Alongside this, regarding some of the organizations, ties to elements identified with the Muslim Brotherhood movement and Islamist networks in Britain and Europe have also emerged over the years, as well as connections to other designated organizations such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
"This entire body of work, and in particular their activities to promote measures against the State of Israel, justifies examining the entry of their representatives and activists into Israel," the letter stated.
