Israel refused entry to two EU lawmakers, sparking outrage over its treatment of European officials and scrutiny of its actions in Palestine.
Two European lawmakers were denied entry to Israel and deported back to Europe shortly after landing at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, prompting calls for a firm EU response.
Lynn Boylan, the head of the European Parliament’s EU-Palestine delegation, and French-Palestinian lawmaker Rima Hassan were traveling from Brussels to Palestine via Israel for diplomatic discussions.
After hours of questioning, they were refused entry and sent back to Belgium.
Israel’s Interior Ministry justified barring Hassan over her support for boycotts but gave no reason for Boylan’s expulsion.
Irish MEP Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Palestine, was denied entry into Palestine by Israel on Monday.
Detained at Ben Gurion Airport along with French MEP Rima Hassan and two senior civil servants, the four-person… pic.twitter.com/yHrR1JTfEe
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According to the Anadolu news agency, Boylan stated that all necessary permits had been submitted weeks in advance and called on the EU to take a strong stance against the incident.
“The EU must respond firmly—this is not how allies treat one another,” she told Anadolu. She also urged European institutions to back her delegation’s mission and ensure it is rescheduled.
Boylan criticized the EU-Israel Association Council meeting, chaired by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, calling it a missed opportunity to hold Israel accountable for its actions over the past 16 months.
The meeting proceeded despite previous calls from Spain and Ireland to reconsider EU-Israel relations over human rights violations.
“The EU was founded on principles of international law and human rights, yet Israel repeatedly acts with impunity,” Boylan said.
A ceasefire in Gaza has been in place since January 19, but Gaza authorities have reported hundreds of Israeli violations.
Israel also faces legal challenges, including genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice and arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
(PC, Anadolu)
