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Lara Alqasem, a 22-year-old girl of Palestinian descent from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, arrived in Israel on a student visa to attend the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, but she did not go to school. never left the airport after discovering that she had ties to boycott and divestment. and the Sanctions movement, better known as BDS, said his lawyer, Leora Bechor.
"There was no reason to refuse him [entry at the airport] When they could have made their decision at the time of issuing his student visa, "Bechor told CNN. A person with a visa in hand trusts the government's decision. If the government plans to revoke a visa, it has already done so. issued, he must be held responsible. "
Alqasem has been detained at an airport detention center since arriving in Israel on 2 October. She has access to a phone but can only receive visits from her lawyers, said Bechor.
The Ministry of Strategic Affairs, which deals with BDS affairs, called Alqasem a "leading activist" who met the criteria for being denied entry to Israel.
In a statement to CNN, Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan said: "Israel, like any democracy, has the right to prevent the entry of foreign nationals, especially those seeking to harm the country. So we are trying to prevent the entry of those who promote the anti-Semitic BDS campaign, which calls for the destruction of Israel. "
The ministry added that Alqasem is free to return to the United States at any time. Bechor said that his client still hoped to go to university and oppose the decision of the ministry in Israel, not as a manifestation of the BDS, but because she could not afford to go back and forth as long as the case went on.
University support
An American embassy official told CNN: "We are following the case and have provided consular services to Ms. Alqasem."
Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the US State Department, told reporters: "It's finally up to the Israeli government, or any country, to decide which individuals, which Americans, it want to let in. "
The University Council of the Hebrew University has condemned the detention of Alqasem and called for his immediate release.
"The arbitrary refusal of entry into the country of Alqasem with a visa approved by the Israeli consul will dissuade scholars and students from around the world to come to Israel," said the rector of the Hebrew University Barak Medina in a statement.
The case highlights Israel's efforts to block BDS supporters. A law of 2017 authorizes the Ministry of the Interior to decide whether visas or residence permits will be granted to boycott activists. The case of Alqasem is the first to be decided under the new law, according to Bechor.
In the Israeli government, detention seems to indicate discomfort.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Oren questioned the decision, stating in a statement: "I have said it before and I say it again: the policy we are implementing is obviously causing us political damage. We must carefully consider whether Lara Alqasem really supports the BDS, is she present in the country to advance the harmful and dangerous causes for our security? "
He called for a re-examination of the policy "in order to protect ourselves and our image as a democratic and enlightened society".
Expulsion remained
The night before his deportation last Friday, an immigration court issued a decision suspending his forced departure. The case will be heard again by the Tel Aviv District Court Thursday morning. A judge could make a decision in one or the other way or postpone the decision.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Erdan, tweeted that Alqasem would be allowed to enter Israel if she apologized for leading a branch of a boycott organization and admits that 39 "she has made a mistake in the past and that she believes today that boycott support for Israel BDS is a mistake and is illegitimate …"
Although Alqasem has not yet responded to this offer, it is unlikely that she will accept it, said her lawyer to CNN, although she has attempted to downplay the former role of Alqasem within the BDS movement.
"She will not pretend that it's a form of illegitimate protest," Bechor told CNN. "It would be intellectually dishonest for her to say that it is a form of illegitimate protest."
Michael Schwartz contributed to this report.
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