AFP/Tel Aviv
Officials at Israel’s main airport yesterday refused entry to 69 people they said were pro-Palestinian activists, and said most would be repatriated on the first available flights.
A local pro-Palestinian activist flashes the peace sign as he is arrested after protesting at Ben-Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv yesterday
Immigration spokeswoman Sabine Hadad said that four people had already flown out of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, and the remainder were in custody waiting to travel.
“They are from Spain, the Netherlands, many from France, Bulgaria, the US, Germany,” she said. “Legally they have been refused entry, they are not in Israel.”
Shortly after 9pm prisons service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said 34 of the 69 had been moved to a nearby prison pending deportation and the rest were still at the airport.
Hadad said that during the day 310 people were questioned on suspicion of taking part in the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign, which some have called the “flytilla,” in which up to 800 activists were to fly in on a peaceful mission to visit Palestinian families.
“Sixty-nine were refused entry, all the rest entered,” Hadad said.
But Israeli authorities said they largely managed to pre-empt the campaign by foreign activists—most from France—who are demonstrating for the right of access to the West Bank.
Officials said that by notifying foreign airlines of ticket-holders who would not be admitted to Israel they prevented hundreds from boarding at their ports of departure.
A statement from the public security ministry quoted regional police chief Benzi Sau as saying a joint operation by police, the foreign ministry and transport officials “prevented the departure of hundreds of activists at their points of departure for Israel.”
“Public Security Minister (Yitzhak) Aharonovitch instructed that... forces continue to deploy so as to be able to deal with incoming flights this afternoon, including the prevention of disturbances, while exercising the necessary sensitivity,” it added.
Hadad earlier said: “Israel has given airlines a list of 342 unwanted people, warning them that they will be immediately turned back at the expense of the companies.”
Following the warning, “the companies have already refused to take on board around 200 of these passengers,” she said, adding that two US activists who arrived were sent back to the US.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said six Israelis had been arrested in the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion, which is open to the public.
