In a recent development, Israel has barred entrance to two European Union parliamentarians, citing a boycott campaign against the nation as the reason for denying one of them. The incident occurred at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport, where Lynn Boylan, the head of the European Parliament’s EU-Palestine delegation, and her colleague Rima Hassan were stopped and subsequently sent back to Europe.
Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel accused French politician Rima Hassan of actively encouraging boycotts against Israel and making several statements via media and social platforms that align with this stance. Hassan, born in Aleppo, Syria, alongside Boylan, represents The Left group within the EU parliament. The group recently advocated for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement in response to an International Court of Justice review of alleged crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
There was no immediate explanation provided for the refusal of Boylan’s entry into Israel. The Irish representative from the Sinn Fein party had intended to engage with Palestinian Authority officials and others affected by the Israeli occupation. Boylan has been outspoken in condemning Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and sees this recent move as indicative of Israel’s “utter disregard” for international law.
Recently, Israeli lawmakers enacted legislation preventing the entry of individuals supporting Hamas’ October 2023 attack or pursuing international legal action against Israeli forces. This law expands upon existing legislation used to deny access to those propagating boycotts against Israel, including participants in the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. While advocates of BDS view it as a peaceful opposition, Israel perceives it as a threat to its sovereignty and accuses some proponents of harboring antisemitic sentiments.
Rima Hassan, who aligns with France’s Unbowed party, was vocal about the issue, urging supporters to demonstrate outside EU headquarters as parliamentary discussions took place. During the same day, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was in Brussels attending the EU-Israel Association Council, a forum under scrutiny by countries like Spain and Ireland due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. Saar engaged with European leaders and acknowledged the recurring criticism Israel faces, expressing a willingness to address these issues with an objective outlook.
However, he emphasized that criticism becomes problematic when it involves questioning Israel’s legitimacy or applies double standards, which he noted as recurring elements in some attacks against the nation.
