JERUSALEM/LONDON—A left-wing activist and member of the British Labour Party has been denied entry to Israel. He was stopped at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
Gary Spedding was first denied entry to Israel five years a ago by the Interior Ministry’s Population and Immigration Authority after reportedly organizing a violent protest at Queens University, Belfast, in which an Israeli representative was attacked.
After traveling to Israel again following the end of his five-year ban, Spedding tweeted that he was detained and interrogated for three hours before his entry into Israel was eventually denied. He boarded a flight back to the United Kingdom on Monday evening.
According to daily Haaretz, he was banned from entering Israel because he had not contacted the Israel Embassy in London before travelling to obtain autorisation.
In a Facebook post, Spedding said : “After having followed all stipulations required of me (including not attempting re-entry during the period of my ban). The main reason for my visit is to meet and catch up with Israeli and Palestinian friends and colleagues.”
Israel has barred entry in recent months to a number of foreign nationals it considers sympathetic to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.