Israel barred 18 Americans from entering the country and put them on a flight back to the United States on Tuesday as part of a policy of refusing entry to foreigners who want to show solidarity with the Palestinians. The Americans arrived at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport on Monday with the aim of going to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Tova Ellison said. The U.S. group included naturalized citizens born in Pakistan, Egypt and Iraq, she said. Two members of the U.S. group were admitted entry because they have Israeli citizenship. A British citizen traveling with the Americans was put on a flight back to Britain. "They wanted to show solidarity with the Palestinians," she said. "The state of Israel is in a state of war at the moment and no other country would allow its enemies or those who support its enemies to enter," Ellison said.
Perhaps they should ask themselves, "Why do they hate us?" |