Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Israel Detains Prominent Jewish-American Critic at Airport
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 7 years ago on
August 20, 2018

Share

JERUSALEM — A prominent Jewish-American commentator who has been critical of Israel’s policies says that he was detained by Israeli airport authorities and interrogated about his political views before he was allowed to enter the country.
The questioning of Peter Beinart was the latest in a string of incidents in which Jewish critics of Israel have been interrogated about their politics by border officials. The Israeli government called the incident a mistake.
Beinart, a contributor to The Atlantic, CNN and the Israeli daily Haaretz, considers himself a supporter of Israel, but has been an outspoken critic of the government’s hard-line policies toward the Palestinians and close alliance with President Donald Trump.
He has warned of a growing rift between Israel and the predominantly liberal Jewish-American community, and said that Israel must establish a Palestinian state to ensure its survival as a Jewish-majority democracy. Such views are shared by many on Israel’s political left.
In an interview, Beinart said he was pulled aside Aug. 12 when he arrived with his family to attend a relative’s bat mitzvah.

Asking About Political Activities

Beinart said he was sent to a small room where a security official asked about his political activities and whether he was involved in groups that advocate violence, threaten democracy or promote anarchy.
Beinart said he was then asked about his participation in a nonviolent West Bank protest two years ago. He said the interview ended after he said he would not be joining any protests on his current visit. He was released after calling a well-known Israeli human rights lawyer. In all, he said he was held for over an hour.

“My hope would be that this provokes a conversation more generally about the way in which Israel harasses people based on their political views. The real scandal is what happens to people who are much more vulnerable than me because they don’t have the privilege that I have as an American Jew.” — Peter Beinart, Jewish-American commentator
Beinart called his experience “trivial” when compared to the experiences of others, particularly Palestinians and Palestinian Americans who travel through Israel’s main international airport.
“My hope would be that this provokes a conversation more generally about the way in which Israel harasses people based on their political views,” he said. “The real scandal is what happens to people who are much more vulnerable than me because they don’t have the privilege that I have as an American Jew.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that upon learning of Beinart’s detention he immediately asked Israeli security officials what happened and was told it was an “administrative mistake.”
“Israel is an open society which welcomes all – critics and supporters alike,” his office said. “Israel is the only country in the Middle East where people voice their opinions freely and robustly.”
The Shin Bet internal security service apologized for causing any anguish and said it was investigating.
In recent weeks, a left-wing Israeli author who lives in the U.S. said he was detained at the airport for a “cautionary conversation” about his political activities, while two Jewish-American women involved in Israeli left-wing causes were questioned about their political work with Palestinians while entering the country from Egypt.
Israel has also begun enforcing a ban on foreign activists who support boycotts of the country.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Iranian State TV Halts Live Broadcast After Israeli Strike

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

6 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

6 hours ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

WASHINGTON – The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Do...

6 hours ago

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) hat as he attends the commencement ceremony at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, U.S., May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
6 hours ago

Trump Faces Uproar From MAGA Base Over Possible Iran Strike

6 hours ago

Iran Would Accept Trump’s Offer to Meet Soon, New York Times Reports

6 hours ago

Meta in Talks to Hire Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to Join AI Efforts, The Information Reports

6 hours ago

Fed Keeps Rates Steady but Pencils in Two Cuts by End of 2025, Warns of Inflation Ahead

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia June 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Putin Says He Does Not Want to Discuss the Possible Israeli-US Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

7 hours ago

A Little Coffee With Your Whiskey? Downtown Fresno Gets New Craft Cocktail Lounge

President Donald Trump talks about the new flag pole being installed on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, June, 18, 2025. President Trump decided to check the immigration status of a work crew installing a new flagpole at the White House. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

‘Any Illegal Immigrants?’ Trump Quizzes Workers at the White House

7 hours ago

What Is Juneteenth and When Did It Become a US Federal Holiday?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend