Five US activists aiming to investigate living conditions for Palestinians in Israeli-occupied areas were subjected to a cold welcome upon their arrival to Israel; detained without explanation, handcuffed, humiliated based on belief, appearance or ethnicity, and finally banned from entering the country.
The
incident occurred on July 17, when a five-member delegation of the
rights group US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation was detained at Ben
Gurion Airport, some 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv. All of the activists
had US citizenship and appear to have been stopped in violation of visa
agreements between Washington and Tel Aviv.
Some of the activists were quickly sent back to the United States,
while others were detained by Israeli border police, held in prison-like
conditions for up to 18 hours. A few were banned from entering Israel
for a period of ten years.
Those detained, mostly people of color or of Middle Eastern descent, were stripped-searched and interrogated by law enforcement, labeled terrorists for their appearance and threatened with force, according to a press-release by the group.
"The
US government remains concerned about unequal treatment that some
Arab-Americans receive at Israel's borders and checkpoints," said State
Department spokesperson Mark Toner. "And we regularly raise with Israeli
authorities our concerns about the issue of equal treatment for all US
citizens in ports of entry."
Israel has long been accused of oppressing Palestinian- and
Arab-Americans, and many have reported of their experiences to the Arab
American Institute. The issue has reportedly led the US State Department
to remove Israel from the Visa Waiver Program, which allows nationals
from selected developed countries visa-free travel to the United States.
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160805/1043954380/five-americans-handcuffed-deported-israel.html
Those detained, mostly people of color or of Middle Eastern descent, were stripped-searched and interrogated by law enforcement, labeled terrorists for their appearance and threatened with force, according to a press-release by the group.
“I was never given any explanation for the
treatment I received,” one of the delegates, of South Asian origin, who
preferred to remain anonymous, said in a statement. “The only thing made
clear during the 18-hour ordeal was that their dehumanization of me was
based on a 'hunch' rooted in nothing more than my name and ethnic
background."
US Consulate Citizen Services made no move to assist the activists.
“The US government is an active partner
in Israel's war crimes against Palestinians, providing billions
in military aid every year,” Ramah Kudaimi, one of the delegates, said.
“Our experience traveling to witness the reality of life
for Palestinians is proof once again that both countries are plagued
with institutionalized racism, Islamophobia, and militarism."
On Tuesday, the US State Department responded to reports of the
incident, saying it was aware of what had happened, but refused to make
further comments.
©
Sputnik/ Sergey Guneev
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160805/1043954380/five-americans-handcuffed-deported-israel.html
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