Israel Bars Entry to Foreign Nationals Against Its Apartheid Ruthlessness

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Jews and non-Jews from abroad are denied entry to the country if criticize its state terrorism and wars of aggression - especially BDS supporters, human rights workers, and independent truth-telling journalists.

In March 2017, Israeli legislation banning foreign nationals and BDS supporters from entering Israel was enacted - flagrantly violating free expression views on any issues.

The measure states "(n)o visa and residency permit of any type will be given to a person who is not an Israeli citizen or does not have a permit for permanent residency in the State of Israel if he, [or] the organization or entity for which he works, has knowingly issued a public call to impose a boycott on the State of Israel, as defined in the Preventing Harm to the State of Israel through Boycott Law…or has committed to participate in such a boycott."

US-based Jewish Voices for Peace executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson condemned the law, saying:

"On the same day as the Trump administration signed the second version of an unconstitutional and discriminatory executive order barring visitors from specific Muslim countries, Israel just passed its own discriminatory travel ban barring supporters of nonviolent tactics to end Israel's violations of Palestinian rights," adding:

"My grandparents are buried in Israel. My husband and kids are citizens, and I lived there for three years, but this bill would bar me from visiting because of my work in support of Palestinian rights."

"The profiling and denial of entry that Palestinians have long faced when traveling to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is now being extended to apply to anyone who supports boycotts and other acts of conscience to oppose Israel's policies."

"I'm very proud to support the BDS movement, and hope that the response to this ban will hasten the day when anyone can travel there freely."

The law targets foreign critics of Israeli ruthlessness, taking a strong stand for justice, opposing its apartheid ruthlessness.

Last month, 22-year-old Palestinian/American student Lara Alqasem was denied entry to the country for past membership in a student organization supporting BDS.

Israel's Supreme Court ruled against the Netanyahu regime, granting her permission to pursue graduate studies at Hebrew University, a rare triumph over apartheid viciousness.

The court's decision defied expectations after lower court rulings rejected her appeal. Trump's State Department refused to support the rights of a US citizen.

Israeli historian Gershom Gorenberg said Alqasem's case is "part of a trend by (the Netanyahu regime) to turn enforcement and the law into tools for policing opinions."

In their ruling, High Court justices stressed that Alqasem was granted visa permission to pursue graduate work. Evidence presented by Israel didn't justify her deportation, calling her visa cancellation unreasonable.

She was repressively detained at Ben Gurion airport under harsh conditions until the Supreme Court ruling in her favor.

Israel is currently denying entry to Palestinian/American writer  Susan Abulhawa after arriving Thursday to attend a West Bank literary festival.

She's held indefinitely under harsh conditions like Alqasem and others mistreated the same way - told she hadn't applied for visa permission to come.

Citizens of the US and nearly 100 other countries are most often exempt from obtaining visa permission to visit Israel.

Abulhawa has been to Occupied Palestine before. Reportedly she was told she'd have to request permission in advance to come back.

Her publisher Alexandra Pringle calls her "an important and internationally bestselling Palestinian writer whose novels uniquely and powerfully portray the history and plight of her country."

She's best known for her book, titled "Mornings in Jenin." It's a multi-generational story about a Palestinian family, forcibly dispossessed from their land in 1948, forced to live in Jenin refugee camp tents under harsh conditions.

The family is followed through a half century of Israeli repression. The novel is about history, identity, friendship, love, terrorism, surrender, courage, and hope.

It explains how Palestinians have been terrorized for decades, the world community failing to intervene on their behalf.

Abulhawa is a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights denied them by a ruthless occupier. She's involved in BDS activism.

Last month, extremist Netanyahu regime ministers began discussing legislation to imprison BDS supporters for up to seven years.

If enacted, members of B'Tselem, other human rights groups, Breaking the Silence, and others critical of Israeli harshness could be imprisoned for their activism - the way all despotic regimes operate.

Current law calls for imprisonment for up to 10 years for anyone convicted of damaging Israel, a life sentence for more serious offenses - defining them up to prosecutors and judges.

Justice in apartheid Israel is routinely denied. An amendment to the current law proposes imprisonment for anyone harming Israeli interests and/or its relations with other countries.

Banning free expression and dissent is what tyranny is all about - an Israeli specialty, increasing in the West.

Abulhawa appealed her deportation order. Her descendants lived in Jerusalem for centuries.

Her status depended on whether an Israeli judge would allow her to participate in the literary festival or uphold her deportation order.

Late Tuesday, the judge ruled against her. She was shamefully ordered deported for the second time in three years - another black mark on the apartheid Israeli state.

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