Israel has expanded its policy of barring anti-Israel activists from entering the country, deciding to prevent 32 American citizens from crossing its borders. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism coordinated with the Population and Immigration Authority to deny entry to members of the organization "Eyewitness Palestine" when they arrive at Israel's border crossings in the coming weeks. According to information gathered in Israel, the group planned to arrive in the country during February.
The reason for the ban is that the organization and its members actively promote delegitimization and boycotts against Israel. This marks the first time the organization has been blocked from outside Israel, after bringing delegations to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the past decade. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs notes that the activities of Eyewitness Palestine members "go beyond expressing legitimate political opinion, and are characterized by systematic calls for boycotts, glorification of violence, justification of harm to civilians and dissemination of content with antisemitic, anti-Zionist and anti-Israel characteristics." Two of the 32 individuals barred from entry are members of the Georgia State House of Representatives.
Among other things, the organization publicly declares that it "stands firm in the global struggle for a free and liberated Palestine." It also emerges that Eyewitness Palestine conducts between three and four delegations per year in Israeli territory, as part of its activities to promote boycotts and delegitimization against the State of Israel. According to the organization, the purpose of the delegations is "to understand the reality in Palestine," and within their framework, meetings are held with Palestinian organizers, activists, and community leaders.
According to the law, the Population and Immigration Authority is the body authorized to decide who may enter Israel; therefore, the director general of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Avi Cohen Scali, approached the director general of the Population and Immigration Authority and recommended preventing the entry of these delegations. This will be done before their arrival in Israel through the ETA process using an entry form to Israel.
Meanwhile, Greek authorities arrested Muhammad Khatib yesterday, the European coordinator of the anti-Israel organization "Samidoun". He was arrested at Heraklion Airport and told he was marked as inadmissible to Greece for reasons of "national security." Minister Chikli approached the Greeks three years ago regarding Khatib.
