Livni: Israel's handling of Lara Alqasem was 'stupid' and 'damages Israel'

Israel's handling of the case of 22-year-old Palestinian-American was "stupid" and "damages Israel", opposition leader Tzipi Livni told I24news.

Originally entered into force by Lara Alqasem for the boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Israel's High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday to allow Palestinian-American student to enter the country. at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Qasem has now begun her studies, a week late to the program, her lawyer told I24news.

Speaking of BDS folks, Livni said the government should let them in the country so they can learn first-hand about Israel, given the harm they can do remotely in the digital age.

"I would like all those supporters of BDS to know Israel better, so why should not they come? If they want to damage Israel, they can do it elsewhere. We are living in a world of networks, everything is open. This causes more damage to the state of Israel, "Livni said explaining that Alqasem's box only fuels detractors of Israel and creates bad publicity that unnecessarily damages its reputation.

While the opposition leader called the fight against BDS has "needed" one, she said denying students like al Qasem entry did not help.

Dissenters argue that BDS does not simply seek to exert economic pressure on Israel to change its policy but actually seeks the demise of the Jewish state.

Where is our national dignity? In the US would you like to stay in touch with the rest of the world? I will consider ways to prevent the recurrence of a case, "Minister of the Interior Aryeh Dehri tweeted following the Supreme Court overturning the decision of the Tel Aviv District Court.

However, even those who do not know who they are and who do not know who they are or who they are is telling the story, explained Alqasem's attorney Leora Bechor.

"On the one hand, they publish this statement which is policy for all intents and purposes. Lara is still a BDS activist. It does not fit, you can not do it both ways. "Bechor explained.

She said she was concerned that the law would continue to be misapplied, saying that the law itself is fundamentally flawed.

"I believe that the law is unconstitutional and that it is a restriction of free speech, that the government is not able to exercise its discretion," Bechor told I24news.

She said that while Alqasem's case did not challenge the constitutionality of Israel's immigration law against BDS supporters, a future case would seek to bring the issue before the Supreme Court.