Nobel Laureate Mairead Maquire Loses Appeal; May Be Deported from Israel

Tweet from a press release from the Irish Palestine Solidarity Committee (couldn't find link)

Background to the deportation order

Ms Maguire was visiting Israel and the West Bank as part of a high-level women’s fact finding mission looking at the work of Palestinian and Jewish female peace activists. Upon arrival in Ben Gurion airport, Ms Maguire was informed she could not enter Israel as a result of her participation as a passenger on the MV Rachel Corrie in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in June. She was subsequently dragged by four male security guards to the door of a British-bound airplane, whereupon she peacefully sat on the floor, refusing to move. Ms Maguire reported that the manhandling had caused bruises under arms. Ms Maguire refused to board to the plane as her legal representatives had submitted a petition to the courts contesting the deportation.

Background on Ms. Mairead Maguire

Ms. Maguire was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her extraordinary actions to end the sectarian violence in her native Northern Ireland. In the 30 years since receiving the award, she has dedicated her life to promoting peace, both in Northern Ireland and around the world. Most recently, in June 2010, Ms. Maguire set sail on the MV Rachel Corrie to help break the blockade on Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the besieged coastal strip. The boat was hijacked in international waters by Israeli commandos, and it was forced to sail to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Ms. Maguire was detained for two days and then deported from Israel.

Background on Israel’s Denial of Entry to Critics of Israeli Policies

This is not the first time that Israel has denied entry to prominent academics and activists who are critical of Israeli policies toward Palestinians. For example, on 16 May 2010, Professor Noam Chomsky was held for several hours while crossing from Jordan to the West Bank and ultimately denied entry. The professor, aged 81, was entering the West Bank in order to speak at Birzeit University near Ramallah.

56-year-old US academic Dr. Norman Finkelstein was prevent from entering Israel on May 23^rd 2008 and received a ten year ban being labelled a “security threat”.

Professor Richard Falk - the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories - was denied entry to Israel on 14^th December 2008 and deported. Prof. Falk, was on his way to the West Bank to carry out his official functions.