Coteret

Other Coteret posts on the Chomsky affair: Sheizaf: Chomsky affair demonstrates that the West Bank, not just Gaza, is under siege | Yediot legal editor: Chomsky affair part of trend that “could mark the end of Israel as a freedom-loving state of law” |

—-

For anyone who was wondering what “system” is behind the growing tide of entry denials to internationals suspected of Palestinian sympathies, Maariv provides a rather banal answer:

It has become apparent that the official in charge of border crossings in the Interior Ministry was the one who gave instructions not to let in Chomsky.  Interior Ministry sources said the official overstepped her authority and was reprimanded.  Sources in the Interior Ministry noted that the official made the decision on the basis of her familiarity with the person’s activity and the fact that he is considered an extreme leftist.

—-

Official decided: No entry for leftists

Amit Cohen, Maariv, May 17 2010 [page 8; Hebrew original here and at bottom of post]

Israel prevented yesterday the entry of American Jewish linguist and left wing activist Prof. Noam Chomsky, who planned to hold a several day long visit to the West Bank.

Palestinian Parliament Member Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who invited Chomsky, said that Israeli officials had told Chomsky that his entry was being denied due to his opinions and his criticism of Israel.  Chomsky said that he was surprised by the level of Israeli stupidity.

It has become apparent that the official in charge of border crossings in the Interior Ministry was the one who gave instructions not to let in Chomsky.  Interior Ministry sources said the official overstepped her authority and was reprimanded.  Sources in the Interior Ministry noted that the official made the decision on the basis of her familiarity with the person’s activity and the fact that he is considered an extreme leftist.

When a person requests to enter Judea and Samaria directly, his request is not handled by the Interior Ministry, but rather by the army.  Therefore, the instructions not to let him in were given mistakenly.  The Interior Ministry, for its part, intends to lift the restriction on Chomsky’s entry.

Barghouti told Ma’ariv that the arrangements to coordinate Prof. Chomsky’s arrival in the territories had begun four months ago.  Chomsky was invited by Bir Zeit University and by the Palestinian National Initiative, which is headed by Barghouti.  He was supposed to spend four days in the territories and tour a number of sites.  Chomsky was also scheduled to lecture at Bir Zeit University about US policy.

However, when Chomsky arrived yesterday at Allenby Bridge, en route from Amman, he was delayed for many hours.  “He arrived at 11:00 AM along with his daughter and a number of escorts,” Barghouti related.  “To his surprise, he was delayed for five hours, at the end of which he was told that his entry had been denied by the Israeli Interior Ministry.  He was told that the reason for the denial was his opinions, statements he had made and his intention of lecturing here.”  Barghouti added that Chomsky was told that an official statement would be sent to the US embassy.

A security source explained that “his request to enter Bir Zeit University for the purpose of a lecture that could agitate the atmosphere apparently reached the ears of the Interior Ministry personnel.  Someone there apparently decided arbitrarily that his entry was unnecessary, and therefore decided to ban him from entering.  As it appears now, this decision caused more harm than good, and it looks like he will ultimately enter.”

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel sharply denounced the decision to prevent Chomsky’s entry.  “The decision to prevent a person from expressing his opinions by his arrest and expulsion is a characteristic of a totalitarian regime,” it said in its statement.  “A democratic state, which holds freedom of speech dear, does not shut itself away from criticism or inconvenient ideas, and does not bar guests from entering just because their opinions are unacceptable to it— rather it copes with them by means of a public discussion.”