Israel Matzav

Top ISM tool denied entry into Israel

The Jerusalem Post is reporting this morning that the head of the International Solidarity Movement in Northern California, Paul Larudee, was denied entry into Israel on Sunday night and is currently being held at Ben Gurion Airport awaiting deportation. On Monday, Larudee's attorney, Gabi Lasky, presented the Tel Aviv Administrative Court with an infringement order asking that the Ministry of Interior state the reasons for Larudee's detainment, and requesting that her client be allowed immediate entry into Israel. The court gave the ministry two days to respond.

According to security officials, Larudee's name appears on a Shin Bet (General Security Service) list of foreign far-left 'activists' who are suspected of involvement in dangerous anti-Israel activity. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for ensuring that persons whose names appear on the list are not allowed entry into Israel.

Security officials said that Larudee was one of the ISM's top leaders, and was behind anti-Israel activity during IDF operations in Judea, Samaria and Gaza during the height of the Intifada between 2002 and 2004. Officials said that he was once found in the home of a suicide bomber and that he participated in a violent anti-Israel demonstration.

ISM spokeswoman Nurit Golan added that in a recent court case involving another ISM activist the Ministry of Interior admitted that, "being a member of ISM was not a reason to be on such a list." I don't understand why this is not sufficient to deny entry. It certainly ought to be.

According to Golan, Larudee has been here four times before and has never been arrested. He has never done anything illegal," continued Golan, adding that the activist, who is a piano tuner by trade, was here to tune more than 40 pianos in the Palestinian Authority areas, said Golan.

But Larudee is anything but innocent. He openly wrote a letter detailing how he spent the night with the family of a suicide bomber. Since such bombers usually work with organized terrorist groups, it is of interest what direct contact LaRudee makes with overseas terrorists. As an attorney, I have to wonder whether that alone would be sufficient to charge him as an accessory to murder.

Hopefully, the Interior Ministry will not back down.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:43 AM