Israel/Palestine

Source: Jerusalem Post

A spokesman for Israel’s Interior Ministry told NBC that three of the five activists were denied entry for “security reasons” but did not elaborate on what those reasons were.

A US official accused Israel of treating some Arab Americans unequally after the Jewish state detained five pro-Palestinian American activists and denied them entry into the country.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday reiterated the United States’ “concern” about “unequal treatment” following reports of the July 17 incident at Ben Gurion Airport.

Upon their arrival on July 17, a US staffer for the organization US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and four other members of the group — all carrying US passports — were “interrogated by Israeli border police about their backgrounds and political involvement,” according to a statement issued by the organization Tuesday.

Four of the five were “people of color and Muslim,” and the fifth had a long beard, the group added. Americans do not need visas to enter Israel. The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is a supporter and promoter of BDS, the campaign to boycott Israel and all Israeli products.

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/US-reiterates-concern-over-unequal-treatment-of-Arab-Americans-at-Ben-Gurion-Airport-463399