Israel bars two EU lawmakers from entry over support for BDS

Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel yesterday barred two members of the European Parliament from entry, citing their support for the boycott and sanctions movement against Israel’s occupation.

Irish MEP Lynn Boylan and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport yesterday, but shortly after landing, they were sent back to Brussels.

Arbel claimed MEP Hassan is a pro-Palestine activist who had “consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel and made numerous public statements and social media posts” hostile to the country.

“Hassan will be returned to Brussels,” he said, adding the Diaspora Affairs Ministry had recommended the decision.

Born in Syria to Palestinian refugee parents, Hassan, 32, left for France at the age of nine. She was trained as an attorney before entering parliamentary politics as part of Jean-Luc Melenchon’s far-left France Unbowed Party. Over the past year, she came to prominence for decrying Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Sinn Fein MEP Lynn Boylan has called for EU action, saying Israel’s refusal to allow the delegation to travel through Israel to reach Palestine was an insult to all members of the EU.

“It’s particularly insulting that this happened on the same day that the EU itself held a series of talks with Israel as part of the EU-Israel association council, but MEPs and officials trying to travel through Israel were blocked and deported,” she said.

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