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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 10 OctOber 2018

US student detained in Israel over alleged boycott support

By ISABEL DEBRE members can be denied
Associated Press entry upon arrival. It so far
JERUSALEM (AP) — In a has blocked 15 people
groundbreaking case, Isra- from entering, according
el has detained an Ameri- to Erdan's ministry.
can graduate student at its The ministry uses a variety of
international airport for the sources to identify BDS ac-
past week, accusing her of tivists, including tips from in-
supporting a Palestinian- formants and social media
led boycott campaign posts. The ministry says its
against the Jewish state. suspicions were deepened
The case highlights Israel's after learning that Alqasem
concerns about the boy- recently deleted all of her
cott movement and the social media accounts.
great efforts it has made In her appeal, Alqasem
to stop it. The grassroots has argued that she never
campaign has made sig- actively participated in
nificant inroads in recent boycott campaigns, and
years, particularly among promised the court that she
university students and mil- would not promote them in
lennials. the future.
Lara Alqasem, a 22-year- "We're talking about some-
old U.S. citizen with Pal- one who simply wants to
estinian grandparents, study in Israel, who is not
landed at Ben-Gurion Air- boycotting anything," said
port last Tuesday with a her lawyer, Yotam Ben-Hil-
valid student visa. But she lel. "She's not even part of
was barred from entering the student organization
the country and ordered This undated photo provided by Alqasem family shows Lara Alqasem, a 22-year-old American anymore."
deported, based on suspi- graduate student with Palestinian grandparents, who landed at Ben-Gurion Airport Tuesday, Oct. Alqasem is registered to
cions she is a boycott sup- 2, 2018, with a valid student visa. study human rights at Isra-
porter. Associated Press el's Hebrew University in Je-
An Israeli court has ordered rusalem. The university has
that she remain in custo- University of Florida chap- filled anti-Israel BDS groups that he would rethink his thrown its support behind
dy while she appeals. The ter of Students for Justice in the U.S.," said Strategic decision to expel her if she her, announcing on Mon-
weeklong detention is the in Palestine. The group is a Affairs Minister Gilad Er- apologizes and renounces day it would join Alqasem's
longest anyone has been branch of the BDS move- dan, who spearheads the her support for BDS. appeal.
held in a boycott-related ment, whose name comes Israeli government's efforts "If Lara Alqasem will tomor- She also received a boost
case, and it was not im- from its calls for boycotts, against the boycott move- row in her own voice, not from her former Hebrew
mediately clear on Tues- divestment and sanctions ment. "Israel will not allow through all kinds of lawyers professor at the University
day when a final decision against Israel. entry to those who work to or statements that can be of Florida, who described
would be made. BDS supporters say that in harm the country, whatev- misconstrued, say that sup- her as an exceptional and
In the meantime, she has urging businesses, artists er their excuse." port for BDS is not legitimate curious student. In a letter
been spending her days and universities to sever The ministry said that dur- and she regrets what she to the Israeli newspaper
in a closed area with little ties with Israel, they are us- ing Alqasem's involvement did, we will certainly recon- Haaretz, Dror Abend-David
access to a telephone, no ing nonviolent means to with Students for Justice in sider our position," he said. said she had an "open and
internet and a bed that resist unjust policies toward Palestine, the club advo- Israel enacted a law last positive attitude toward Ju-
was infested with bedbugs, Palestinians. Israel says the cated a boycott against year banning any foreign- daism, Jews, and the State
according to people who movement masks its mo- Sabra hummus, an Israeli- er who "knowingly issues a of Israel."
have spoken to her. tives to delegitimize or de- owned brand of chickpea public call for boycotting In an interview from Florida,
Alqasem, from the Fort Lau- stroy the Jewish state. dip. Israel" from entering the her mother, Karen Alqa-
derdale suburb of South- "Lara served as president On Tuesday, Erdan floated country. It also has identi- sem, affirmed her daugh-
west Ranches, Florida, is of a chapter of one of the a possible compromise, fied 20 activist groups from ter's tolerance and intellec-
a former president of the most extreme and hate- saying in a radio interview around the world whose tual drive.q