Israel on Monday denied entry to a Jewish-American activist for advocating the boycott of the Jewish state.
The Immigration Authority confirmed that Ariel Gold, 40, arrived in Israel Sunday and was refused entry at the airport.
Gold is the national co-director of U.S.-based left-wing organization Code Pink and an advocate of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that seeks to isolate Israel internationally.
She visited Israel last year and during her stay, it became clear she was a well-known BDS activist, who had deleted anti-Israel posts and tweets prior to arriving in the country, so as not to arouse suspicion.
Upon her departure from Israel, the Immigration Authority gave her a written notice stating that she would have to coordinate any future trips with Israeli authorities.
Taking to social media, Gold said she had arranged her visit ahead of time with Israeli authorities as instructed but was being deported anyway.
"I am in the Tel Aviv airport getting deported. I got a visa in advance to enter the country but they are refusing to honor it and are deporting me now," she wrote on Facebook.
Code Pink said in a statement that Gold was held for seven hours before being flown back to the U.S., where she will arrive Monday
Gold had reportedly come to Israel to attend a Jewish studies program at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan called on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to have Gold's student visa revoked.
"Whoever works consistently to boycott Israel will not enter the country," he tweeted.
Deri issued a statement Monday explaining that "I'm using my authority to prevent the entry of a woman who came here to undermine the State of Israel and call for its boycott. The fact that this is a Jewish woman is even more damaging.
"BDS activists have to understand that the rules of the game have changed. We will no longer allow them to enter the country and harm it from within," he said.
