Israel Denies Entry to European Lawmakers at Allenby Bridge
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Israeli authorities denied entry to a delegation of European politicians and lawmakers at the Allenby Bridge crossing on Monday. The group, including British and Scottish MPs, was detained for eight hours before being sent back to Jordan. They intended to attend events and meet with Palestinians in the West Bank. The denial comes amid rising tensions and increased security checks at border crossings for international activists.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli authorities denied entry to a delegation of European politicians at the Allenby Bridge crossing.
- The group, including British and Scottish MPs, was detained for eight hours before being sent back to Jordan.
- The delegation aimed to attend events and meet with Palestinian students and farmers in the West Bank.
- British MP Lara Bird accused Israeli forces and settlers of violence and terror.
- The incident occurs amid heightened security tensions and increased border scrutiny for activists.
- Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana stated Israel is not committing genocide.
Israeli authorities on Monday denied entry to a delegation of politicians and lawmakers from Britain and Europe attempting to cross from Jordan into the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge crossing. The delegation, which included members of the British Parliament and Scottish Parliament, was detained for questioning for approximately eight hours before being refused entry and sent back to Jordan, according to reports from Scotland.
Among the group were British MP Lara Bird (SNP), Scottish Green Party MSP Kate Nevens, Labour MP Clive Lewis, former MP Sam Tarry, Basque party representative Josu Estarrona Elizondo, and Nick Dearden, director of the British left-wing organization "Progressive International." The delegation was reportedly in the region to participate in the "Second Ramallah Congress," meet with students at Birzeit University, and join Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest.
Following the denial of entry, Lara Bird posted on social media, criticizing the decision and accusing Israeli forces and settlers of "violence and terror." She questioned Israel's determination to prevent them from witnessing the reality in the West Bank if it had nothing to hide. British MP Clive Lewis also commented on the incident, acknowledging the risk of being denied entry and expressing that they were made to feel as if they had done something wrong despite their innocent intentions.
The incident occurs amid heightened security tensions in the West Bank, particularly concerning the olive harvest season, which has become a focal point of friction between Palestinian farmers, left-wing activists, and settlers. Israeli security officials have reportedly intensified scrutiny at border crossings for international protest activists aiming to provoke or disrupt areas of conflict.