Israel Denies Entry to European Parliamentary Delegation Heading to West Bank
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS Arabic by baba
Israeli authorities denied entry to a delegation of British and European parliamentarians and activists at the Allenby Bridge crossing on Monday. The delegation, sponsored by Progressive International, was detained for eight hours before being sent back to Jordan without an official reason. The group intended to attend a conference, visit a university, and join Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest. One delegate, Lara Bird, accused Israeli forces and settlers of violence and questioned Israel's motives for barring their entry.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israeli authorities denied entry to a delegation of British and European parliamentarians and activists at the Allenby Bridge crossing.
- The delegation was detained for approximately eight hours before being returned to Jordan without an official reason.
- The group included members of the British Parliament, Scottish Parliament, and representatives of left-wing parties.
- The delegation's stated purpose was to attend a conference, visit Birzeit University, and support Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest.
- Delegate Lara Bird accused Israeli forces and settlers of violence and questioned Israel's transparency.
- The incident occurs amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, particularly during the olive harvest season.
Israeli authorities on Monday prevented a delegation of British and European politicians and parliamentarians from entering the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge crossing. The delegation members were detained for investigation for approximately eight hours before their entry was denied and they were returned to Jordan, according to Scottish media. The group included Lara Bird, a Member of the British Parliament for the Scottish National Party; Kate Nevens, a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Green Party; Labour MP Clive Lewis; former British MP Sam Tarry; and Josu Estarrona Elizondo, a representative of the Basque party EH Bildu in the Spanish Senate. They were accompanied by Nick Dearden, director of a British left-wing organization. The delegation, sponsored by the international left-wing organization Progressive International, aimed to participate in the "Second Ramallah Conference," meet students at Birzeit University, and join Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season.
Following the denial of entry, Bird stated on social media that she came to express solidarity with Palestinians facing attacks during the olive harvest. She added that the delegation was returned from the crossing without an official reason being provided for the decision. Bird accused the Israeli military and settlers of perpetrating "violence and terrorism," questioning why Israel would prevent them from seeing the reality in the West Bank if it had nothing to hide.
Labour MP Clive Lewis acknowledged that the delegation members were aware of the possibility of detention or denial of entry. However, he noted their eight-hour detention and interrogation, stating they were treated as if they had committed an offense, despite asserting they had done nothing wrong. The incident occurs amidst rising tensions in the West Bank, particularly during the olive harvest season, which often sees confrontations between Palestinian farmers, left-wing activists, and settlers. Israeli security forces have intensified checks at crossings for international activists, citing concerns that some may seek to provoke incidents or disrupt order in tense areas.
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