Deported British Student Gives First Interview, Accuses Settlers of Violence
Finn Joughin, a 22-year-old British activist deported from Israel, has given his first interview since returning to the UK, speaking to Times Radio. Joughin accused Israeli settlers of violence and the Israeli authorities of enabling it, stating he expects a response from the British government. "My primary concern is the duty of the British government to protect British citizens. What I would most like to hear is a strong condemnation of settler violence, but also of the undeniable complicity of the state that allows this violence to continue," he said.
Joughin was detained on August 29 near the Palestinian village of Umm al-Kheir in the southern West Bank. He was participating in a "protective presence" initiative, where foreign and Israeli activists stay near Palestinians to deter confrontations. Joughin claims he was instructed not to act aggressively towards settlers and that he stood his ground while recording the incident. He alleges that settlers then approached him, pushed him, shouted at him, and forcibly took him, holding him in a chokehold and restraining his arm before locking him in a shelter under threat of a weapon.
After being handed over to Israeli police, Joughin was eventually deported to the UK following intervention by British diplomats, rather than remaining for criminal proceedings. He used the interview to describe the situation of Palestinians in Umm al-Kheir, claiming they are forbidden from grazing sheep or harvesting olives on their land and fear losing their homes, with a court decision potentially leading to the demolition of the entire village, affecting nearly 40 families.
Israeli police present a different account, stating Joughin was detained by the head of security for a nearby settlement on suspicion of indecent acts against a minor. Video footage shows Joughin near a fence, blocking a child's path. While Joughin and his lawyer claim he was preventing children from dismantling the fence, settler representatives made more serious accusations. Police initially reported suspicion of indecent acts and later added suspicion of assault based on witness testimonies, stating the investigation is ongoing. Joughin vehemently denies all accusations, and his lawyer asserts no indecent acts occurred, with the assault charge appearing later.
Police dismissed claims that Joughin was "kidnapped," calling them baseless. The decision to deport Joughin was made by the Population and Immigration Authority, not through a criminal trial. The two accounts fundamentally differ: Joughin alleges abduction by armed settlers while protecting a Palestinian village, while Israeli police maintain he was detained on suspicion of offenses against a minor, with further suspicions of assault arising during the investigation.
