Why are they being SHUT OUT?

Israel denies entry of eight international
peace activists to the country

Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli authorities at the Ben Gorion International Airport
in Tel Aviv barred on Thursday eight international peace
activists from entering the country for what the authorities
described as “conducting activities against Israel”; the
“illegal” activities are being in solidarity with the Palestinian
people living under Israeli occupation.


One of the peace activists said that he and seven other
peace activists were detained upon arriving at the airport,
and were thoroughly searched. They were also subjected
to strip search at the airport, and were interrogated by
the Israeli intelligence for three hours.

The activist, Pluto Anton, said that he was interrogated
and asked about the reason for his second visit to the
country, and then he was informed that “his presence,
and the presence of the other activists, is not welcomed
in Israel”.

The eight activists were detained and interrogated for
a total of eight hours before they were forced on a
plane leaving the country.

The International Solidarity Movement in Jenin slammed
the Israeli policies that aim to isolate the Palestinian people
and bar the international peace activists from entering the
Palestinian areas in support of the Palestinian cause.

The movement added that the eight activists intended
to participate in summer camps and in voluntary work
to aid the Palestinian residents in the occupied territories.
One of the main activities this summer in Palestine is
Freedom Summer 2006, which is a non-violent activity
that aims to help the Palestinians, especially the villages,
in their daily life, and to support their continuation of
everyday life, such as going to school or getting through
a checkpoint.

The movement appealed international and human rights
organizations to intervene and expose the Israeli illegal
practices and continuous violations of human rights in Palestine.