Israel Matzav

HuffPo: Israel holding two 'peace activists' pending deportation; UPDATE Deported

A report at Huffington Post claims that Israel is holding two Minnesota 'peace activists' pending deportation. HuffPo cites a report in the Twin Cities Daily Planet that says that three 'activists' were stopped at Ben Gurion Airport, that one has been deported and that two others are being held pending deportation.

Two Minneapolis women, Katrina Plotz and Sarah Martin, are in jail in Israel after being refused entry to the country. A third, Karen Sullivan, was deported August 1 and was en route back to the Twin Cities on Sunday. They were deported after Israeli officials, checking the internet for information about passengers arriving in Israel, discovered that they intended to visit the Palestinian territories, according to Jess Sundin of the Anti-War Committee.

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According to Sundin, Israeli officials told the three that they were security risks and would not be allowed to enter the country. They were held at the airport and told to sign a paper that said they were leaving voluntarily. Plotz and Martin refused to sign, and were then jailed and told they would be handcuffed and forcibly deported, according to Sundin.

Sullivan was escorted onto a plane by armed guards at about 3:30 p.m., Minnesota time, on Saturday (11:30 p.m. in Israel). According to Sundin, the U.S. embassy in Israel said that Plotz and Martin may be put on a plane at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The three were on a delegation hosted by the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees in Ramallah. The Anti-War Committee website described the delegation:

Hosted by the Palestinian Women’s Committee in Ramallah, they will travel to various cities including Jenin, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. The group will meet with human rights groups, union members, prisoners’ rights advocates, and refugees. Delegates will witness living conditions under military occupation and extend our solidarity to Palestinian activists, organizers and community leaders.

Sundin said the U.S. embassy in Israel has been helpful in getting information, and that, “ In fact, it was the embassy that first called to tell me that they are being held.” She said that the embassy has not been concerned with helping to get “our desired outcome – the right to enter the country.”

That's standard procedure here. If they decide not to admit you to the country, you can either leave voluntarily or you can have a hearing and make a case why they shouldn't deport you. And there are plenty of lawyers who are willing to take those cases.

And no, planning to visit the 'Palestinian territories' is not reason to deport someone per se. It usually requires something more than that. As Coleen Rowley at HuffPo admits:

Is it possible that the Minnesotan peace activists' detention and deportation by Israel is just standard procedure since it's no secret that the peace activists sympathized with the Palestinians' plight? But other peace activist groups, including members of Code Pink, were recently allowed to travel to Israel and even Gaza.

A later report indicates that the two women who were being held were deported on the Sunday night flight.

Why were they deported? I suspect we'll find out eventually.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:40 PM