23 Delegates Detained at Border
Israeli forces held an international group at the Allenby Bridge for nine hours before denying them entry to the West Bank.
By Beatrice Patterson ·
An international delegation of 23 people was turned away from the West Bank after Israeli forces detained them at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge for nine hours. The group, which included four elected officials from France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Ireland, the US, and the UK, was prevented from crossing into Palestinian territory.
The visitors intended to join the Progressive International’s Second Ramallah Congress. This event, organized with Birzeit University, focuses on meetings with Palestinian academics, students, and civil society groups. The trip coincided with the olive harvest season, a time when Palestinian farmers and their supporters face increased scrutiny.
Clive Lewis, a Labour MP included in the group, described the detention process as an interrogation. He noted that people were shouted at and questioned about their presence and narratives. He characterized the experience as deeply unpleasant. The delegation also included Scottish National party MP Lara Bird, Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens, and former Labour MP Sam Tarry.
Sam Tarry stated that the group had a genuine chance of crossing before the detention. He argued that the decision was political, driven by a desire to prevent witnesses from observing conditions in the West Bank ahead of upcoming elections. The exclusion happened while Israeli forces conducted operations against olive farmers and foreign observers in the region.
The UN aid coordination office recorded at least 160 settler attacks linked to the olive harvest in the first two weeks of October. Many of these incidents occurred with the protection or participation of Israeli forces. Earlier this month, Israeli media reported that defence minister Israel Katz instructed officials to issue exclusion orders for activists visiting harvesting areas.
Lara Bird said the group aimed to stand alongside Palestinians harvesting olives on their own land. She questioned why entry was denied without a stated reason, suggesting the move was designed to stop the group from witnessing events in the occupied West Bank. Laila Hazaineh, a political coordinator for Progressive International, stated that every refusal of entry would strengthen the delegation's determination to engage with Palestinian communities.
The Israeli embassy has been contacted for comment regarding the detention and subsequent denial of entry.
Source: The Guardian
