Posted on 07/02/2002 4:42:00 AM PDT by kattracks
Israel put 18 Americans back on a flight back to the United States on Tuesday as part of a policy of refusing entry to foreigners seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
The Americans arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Monday with the aim of going to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Tova Ellison said.
The US group included naturalized citizens born in Pakistan, Egypt and Iraq, she said. Two other members of the US group were admitted because they have Israeli citizenship.
A British citizen traveling with the Americans was put on a flight back to Britain.
"They wanted to show solidarity with the Palestinians," she said. "The State of Israel is in a state of war at the moment and no other country would allow its enemies or those who support its enemies to enter," Ellison said.
The US Embassy in Tel Aviv had no immediate comment.
US citizens normally receive a 90-day tourist visa upon arrival in Israel.
Ellison said Israel began refusing entry to supporters of the Palestinian Authority in March, a time when the IDF was carrying out Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank.
Since then, about 120 foreigners have been expelled from Israel and more than 200 have been denied entry, Ellison said.
"The Interior Ministry does not allow and will not allow entry to those who come to support terror and the people who want to hurt the State of Israel," a statement said.
Early in June, Israel barred a group of 20 US Muslims from entering the country. In another case, eight foreigners, among them a Jordanian journalist and two US citizens, were expelled after troops caught them in the Balata refugee camp making a solidarity visit with Palestinians.
During the army's offensive in March, a group of foreigners opposed to Israel's military actions stormed into Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where troops kept him under siege for 34 days.
Another group entered the Church of the Nativity, during a tense six-week standoff between IDF troops and Palestinian gunmen who took refuge at the holy site.
Thirteen wanted Palestinians were eventually deported to Europe and another 26 were sent to the Gaza Strip. Most of the foreigners were deported. Some remained in jail.
Send them home. We don't need people like this.
What the hell does this have to do with "freedom of speech"? A nation at war has the right to refuse entry to belligerents. If they want to visit "Palestine" they can go through Jordan, Egypt, or Syria.
These people can speak all they wish.
From the United States or Britain.
But if you go to Syria or Saudi Arabia, make sure that you don't have an entry in your passport from Israel. That will keep you from entering those countries (as well as others).
Just beat it
Get real, nutter. This the real world with a real war over there. Not some kind of BS noodling around in a cafe.
Please notice how these Islamics are allowed to immigrate to the USA, for a better life than craphole Muslim nations, but they support those people who want all Jews out of Israel. Drive them out. Screw 'em!
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