Wednesday 15 August 2018

Jewish journalist detained for questioning before being allowed to enter... Israel

A well-known American Jewish journalist, Peter Beinart, was detained for questioning by Israel’s secret service, at Ben Gurion airport. The observant Jew from New-York was on his way with his wife and two young kids to celebrate a family event in Israel.

In his article I Was Detained at Ben-Gurion Airport Because of My Beliefs , Beinart writes “An Israeli government led by men who respect neither liberal democracy nor the rule of law now knows it has kindred spirits in Washington. […] Israel, like America, is getting uglier. And yet I can’t imagine not coming here. I’ll keep doing so until they bar me outright.” 

Israel’s security services have been questioning more and more people about their political views. This would not have become a public issue and excited the Israeli as well as Jewish media outside Israel, had the detained not been well-known and influential. That influential, that Bibi Netanyahu half-apologised, by explaining that Beinart’s questioning had been an administrative mistake by a local officer.

Nobody ever gets excited when Palestinians or less-known left-wing activists are given a hard time. Will anything change after this has come out? Probably not: Doubtlessly the whole brouhaha serves the political interests of Netanyahu and his camp: many, who oppose Israeli government policy, will now think twice before they speak freely. A wonderful future to look forward to. 

1 comment:

  1. Beinart:
    Never mind Mr. Beinart, to whom no real harm was done, who is quite capable of fending for himself, and the questioning of whom was described apologetically by the Prime Minister - no less - as a mistake.
    The issue is a wider one: Why shouldn`t a country be entitled to have a word with individuals who call for boycotts of, divestments in, and sanctions against that country?
    If these individuals wish to harm it economically or to create provocations that might lead to bloodshed, they can be considered enemies of the people (of that country).
    Consequently that country must reserve the right to refuse entry if and when they wish to visit it.
    If that country happened to be Turkey, for instance, a valued member of NATO, then the fate of such individuals would be jail without trial. They would be referred to as terrorists.
    Conversely, in Israel they are called "activists" and those who fund them are called "non-Government organizations". All they have to be afraid of is an interview and the possibility of being sent back to where they came from.

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