Progressive International scheduled the group for its Second Ramallah Congress
A delegation of 23 people has been barred from entering the West Bank after Israeli forces detained the group for nine hours at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge in Jordan, according to former Labour MP Sam Tarry, who was among the delegates. The trip was intended to bring the group to Palestinian children, olive farmers and civil society leaders facing escalating violence from Israeli forces during the olive harvest season.
The delegation was drawn from countries including France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Ireland and the US, and included four elected representatives: Labour MP Clive Lewis, who represents Norwich South; Scottish National Party MP Lara Bird; Scottish Green MSP Kate Nevens; and Sam Tarry, a former Labour MP.
Lewis described how the group was treated during the detention. “We were detained, taken aside and then interrogated. I use the word interrogated because people were shouted at. We were asked why we were going in, what was happening, why our stories were one way or the other. The bottom line was it was a deeply unpleasant experience,” he said.
Tarry said the delegation had “a genuine chance of going across” into the West Bank before the detentions began. He said the refusal of entry was made as a political decision. “They made a political decision very clearly based on the fact they didn’t want people to witness what’s been going on in the West Bank, especially ahead of the elections,” he added.
The delegates had been due to take part in Progressive International’s Second Ramallah Congress, a gathering organised to oppose Israeli occupation in Palestine. Progressive International organised the congress in partnership with Birzeit University, and its programme included meetings with Palestinian academics, students and civil society organisations.
Bird said in a statement: “I came to stand alongside Palestinians being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land. Instead, we were turned away at the border with no reason given.” She added: “It is more important now than ever that we bear witness and show our solidarity. But we were prevented from doing so. If Israel has nothing to hide, why is it so determined to stop us seeing what is happening in the Occupied West Bank?”
Laila Hazaineh, a political coordinator for Progressive International, said in a statement that the delegation had meant to join the olive harvest and engage with Palestinian communities and institutions. “Despite escalating violence, our delegation remained determined to cross to Palestine to participate in the olive harvest, and actively engage with Palestinian communities and institutions. Every refusal of entry will only strengthen this determination,” Hazaineh said.
The exclusions came amid attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian olive farmers and on foreign press and activists in the region. International travel to parts of the West Bank is permitted but is subject to military checkpoints. Earlier in October, Israeli media reported that the defense minister, Israel Katz, had instructed officials to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters.
In the first two weeks of October, the UN aid coordination office recorded at least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the olive harvest, often under the protection or with the participation of Israeli forces.
Israeli forces attacked European diplomats and a French mayor accompanying Palestinian farmers, and about 80 olive-harvest volunteers, including US congressional candidate Brad Lander, were also recently detained.
The embassy of Israel has been contacted for comment.