Israel/Palestine

Scurrilous

(38,687 posts) Sun Apr 15, 2012, 05:23 PM Apr 2012

Israel forces tourist to pledge to avoid pro-Palestinian activities as condition for entry

Last edited Sun Apr 15, 2012, 11:15 PM - Edit history (1)

A 30-year-old Swedish tourist was forced to sign an 'obligation form,' written in broken English, when she tried to cross the border into Israel from Sinai.

<snip>

"Israel's Interior Ministry last week refused to allow a Swedish tourist to enter the country unless she signed a document committing her to avoid any contact with "members of pro-Palestinian organizations".

Anna Pgereld, a 30-year-old Swedish woman who is five-months pregnant, arrived at the Taba border crossing near Eilat around noon on Tuesday with a Norwegian friend, and was immediately singled out for questioning.

"I was invited into an office and was questioned about my religion, if I had contact with any religious organizations here, what I do during the day, how much money I have got to spend and where I got it, what I do in Sweden and so on. Then we had to wait again, not knowing what would happen," she told the left-leaning blog +972.

After waiting for several hours, Pgereld she was presented with what seemed to be an improvised contract, written in broken English, which displayed the logo of the Interior Ministry's Population, Immigration and Border Authority.

After she agreed to sign it, her passport was stamped with a visa allowing her to stay in Israel until her scheduled flight out nine days later, instead of the usual 3-month visa.

"It seems very strange to be asked such questions in a democratic country. I don't think it's anyone's business who I'm going to talk to or who my friends are. I came as a tourist, with a friend, who for some reason wasn't asked a single question," Pgereld said."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-forces-tourist-to-pledge-to-avoid-pro-palestinian-activities-as-condition-for-entry-1.424385

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Israel forces tourist to pledge to avoid pro-Palestinian activities as condition for entry (Original Post) Scurrilous Apr 2012 OP

Source: Israel didn't have grounds to bar entry of 40% of 'fly-in' protesters Scurrilous Apr 2012 #1

I saw somewhere here it being said that the Hebrew press while not saying all too much about the azurnoir Apr 2012 #2

Scurrilous

(38,687 posts)

1. Source: Israel didn't have grounds to bar entry of 40% of 'fly-in' protesters

Reply to Scurrilous (Original post)

Sun Apr 15, 2012, 10:56 PM

Apr 2012

Shin Bet had no solid grounds for believing that 470 of the 1,200 people whom Israel labeled as 'pro-Palestinian activists' intended to do anything illegal, source says.

<snip>

"Forty percent of the non-Israeli citizens who were blacklisted and not permitted entry into Israel on Sunday were kept out even though the Shin Bet security service had no concrete information showing they were connected with so-called fly-in protest. This information comes from a high-ranking Israeli source with knowledge of the blacklist, who added that the Shin Bet also had no solid grounds for believing that 470 of the 1,200 people whom Israel labeled as "pro-Palestinian activists" intended to do anything illegal.

"We put people on the list who are as far removed from anti-Israel political activity as east is from west," one Foreign Ministry official said. "We have insulted hundreds of foreign citizens because of suspicions, and have given the other side a victory on a silver platter."

"Direct damage has been done to tourism and to Israel's good name," the official said.

Organizers said on Sunday that their "Welcome to Palestine" protest, in which hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists were planning to participate in demonstrations in the West Bank, was a success that still advanced the Palestinian narrative even though many of the protesters were forced to stay home.

"It doesn't matter if eight people came or 800," said Lubna Masarwa, one of the organizers of the event. "What's clear is that there is a popular struggle that is gaining momentum and has the international support of thousands of activists. The Palestinians are not alone in their struggle."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/source-israel-didn-t-have-grounds-to-bar-entry-of-40-of-fly-in-protesters-1.424470

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)

2. I saw somewhere here it being said that the Hebrew press while not saying all too much about the

Reply to Scurrilous (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 15, 2012, 11:52 PM

Apr 2012

flytilla spoke of 'useful idiots' one of the milder terms commonly used to describe supporters of Palestinians in their bid for a state, but one must wonder just who the 'useful idiots' were the people who came to Israel for the Welcome to Palestine flytilla or the reactions of the Israeli government who proved at least one point of the flytilla

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