US student in Israeli boycott case claims appeal 'victory'

[Scurrilous]

Source: Aljazeera

Lara Alqasem, who has been detained for 15 days, wins her appeal over her alleged support for BDS.

<snip>

"Lara Alqasem's legal team says Israel's Supreme Court has overturned the US student's deportation order, allowing her to study in Israel.

Alqasem, who is of Palestinian descent, had been held at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport - despite having a valid visa - for more than two weeks since arriving from the US to begin a master's degree in human rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The 22-year-old is from the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Southwest Ranches, Florida, and was a former president of the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Her defence stated that she is not a boycott supporter, illustrated by her choice to study at an Israeli university."

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/student-israeli-boycott-case-claims-appeal-victory-181018161214879.html

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High Court Rules State MUST Release Lara Alqasem From Airport For Studies

<snip>

"The High Court of Justice issued a bombshell ruling late Thursday night ordering the state to release Lara Alqasem from Ben-Gurion Airport so she can attend the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Alqasem has been holed up at the airport for around two weeks after the state alleged she was a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporter who fit the criteria for being denied entry to Israel.

The decision was unanimous 3-0 by Justices Uzi Vogelman, Neal Hendel and Anat Baron.

The state’s position was supported by both a special issues court and the Tel Aviv District Court, before the High Court overturned it with a ruling that could shake the foundations of the state’s anti-entry police for BDS activists."

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/High-Court-rules-State-must-release-Lara-Alqasem-from-airport-for-studies-569755


Israel detains American student for her alleged boycott support

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142175622

[Honeycombe8]

1. I wouldn't stay, if I were her. Nothing good can come of staying in a country...

where the government doesn't want you there.

She'll be watched constantly, and this will happen again, if she even looks at an anti-Israel site or whatever the govt determines is fishy.

So that makes me wonder ...why? Why stay in a country where you might get into trouble and the country doesn't want you? There are a lot of countries in the world, some of which have better schools than Israel.

It's all so strange.

[leftynyc]

2. Anyone saying she was detained

is a liar. She could have gone home at any time. ALL countries have the right to allow or not anyone into their country. If this were any of Israel's neighbors, they would have probably killed her.

[COLGATE4]

3. Can you imagine the muted reaction

if instead this was about a young American woman of Israeli descent had decided to get a Masters degree in Jordan and was then not allowed entry there by the Jordanians?

[leftynyc]

4. All you would have heard

was outrage about an Israeli having the NERVE to try it in the first place. I have no idea why she even wants to do this in Israel. I wouldn't go to a place I'm not wanted - just like I don't visit the Temple Mount while I'm Israel - wouldn't want to accidentally close my eyes and get arrested.

[karynnj]

6. How do you reconcile her "not being wanted" with Hebrew University accepting her?

Hebrew University also backed her in her legal struggle AND the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of her staying.

NETANYAHU and many right wing people in his administration don't want her.

[leftynyc]

7. The government OBVIOUSLY did not want her there

Would YOU go to a country to study if the government worked so hard to keep you out? I sure wouldn't.

[karynnj]

9. She did not know the government would oppose her when she applied, was accepted, got a visa and a

plane ticket. Did you read the letters of reccomendation she had? She sounds like a student that any university would want.

The point where she found the government had a problem was when she arrived. Note that that was months after most universities had started - Israel obviously being later due to the High Holidays. Her choice then was to fight the decision with the University backing her up or to return to the US with no ability to continue her studies until she applied elsewhere and got accepted -- likely for next year.

This is a black eye for Israel. Did you read comments from people at the university that spoke of how this could hurt their recruitment and make it hard to have conferences with people invited because their papers were accepted? It also means many people might be concerned about visiting Israel. It's a hassle no one needs.

[leftynyc]

11. The only people who

think this is a black eye for Israel are the exact same people who forgive terrorist hamas and think Israel has an obligation to allow those who seek her destruction inside their borders. Nobody else gives a crap. Don't forget that none of Israel's neighbors or enemies would even think of allowing an activist to enter their borders. ONLY Israel is held to that ridiculous standard and ALL fair minded people think Israel merely waited too long too try and stop her and frankly don't care about even that AND will credit Israel for allowing her to stay when none of Israel's enemies would have even considered it. It would have been better for your cause if she had been rejected. Now everyone sees how far above and beyond Israel will go.

[karynnj]

13. Not true

I certainly do not forgive hamas or think Israel should not protect itself. You are the one making all these equivilences and assigning them to people who disagree with you.

I know of no Jew who remotely agrees that Israel is no better than its neighbors. I know many who feel that it lately has not lived up to what we learned were Jewish values. Many spend huge energy pushing back against genuinely unfair negative opinions from people who we are otherwise allied with on other issues. At the same time, there is real anguish with some things the Netanyahu government has done. Most of us are also solidly liberal Democrats, who were angered by Netanyahu using all his and Israel's PR apperatus (including AIPAC) to LIE about President Obama and Secretary Kerry - especially in 2014.

It is not possible for me to both feel a connection to Israel and a responsibility to defend Israel when it is right AND to stay silent when it is wrong. To maintain my own integrity, I could not just look away and ignore when my own country was wrong - whether on Vermont or Iraq. I had to march and speak out. Israel is not my country, but as a Jew, I have a connection that I do not have to other countries even those where many ancestors came from. This is strongly encouraged by the Jewish community and Israel. However, just as with my own country, that connection makes me not just defend Israel, but - especially to people NOT against Israel - protest when I think they are wrong.

On this story, it is more personal. I could see at least one daughter being rejected on similiarly weak charges. I know other people of her generation, driven by the very Jewish values they learned in Hebrew School, JR Congregation etc who have attended Jewish Voice for Peace. I personally have attended several J Street events and a conference. (J Street is not yet on their list, but likely on the cusp.)

[Jake Stern]

10. Unlike this case, where Bibi's American boyfriend didn't utter a PEEP of protest,

if a Jewish American student were denied entry to Jordan you can bet your ass Trump would be on the phone with King Abdullah demanding she be immediately released and and lapdog congress would have a bill up and running to stop all aid to Jordan within minutes.

[COLGATE4]

12. Yep. Our new 'reality' show...

[Mosby]

14. nothing would happen

Israelis are banned from every Arab country and no one does shit about it. If your a Jewish tourist that just left Israel for Jordan you will be denied entry.

Israeli athletes are routinely denied access to tournaments in Arab countries.

Jews have been ethnically cleansed from virtually every Arab country, and all the gulf states.

[karynnj]

5. You miss the point - she was fighting to stay there and attend the master's program that she was

accepted to at Hebrew University. Hebrew University helped her in her legal appeals.

No one is arguing that Saudi Arabia etc would treat her as well as Israel. That is a pretty low bar and I think we all expect more from both Israel and our own country.

However, I think SHE was the victim here of some nasty Israeli politics. I think you might consider it differently if you ignore that she is Palestinian. What if whe were a young Jewish student, who was very interested in her religion and who wanted to live by what she thought the values were ... and as an undergrad had joined Jewish Voice for Peace and even become an officer at her college. (I substituted a Jewish group that is in favor of BDS for things made in the settlements.) Now assume this imaginary Jewish girl applies to Hebrew University and is accepted. THE SAME COURSE OF EVENTS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER.

Your saying she always could have just left misses the fact that she likely turned down other masters programs and spent her own money to fly to Israel. It is NOT trivial for her to buy a ticket to return to the US, where she obviously has neither a job or the ability to continue her education. The government gave her a VISA to attend Hebrew University. She had every right to expect that she would fly to Israel and then travel uneventfully to the university. If they were going to reject her, they should have made that determination when awarding the VISA, which happened long after she boycotted Sabra hummus!

I am glad the Supreme Court was the voice for reason. You might want to read their conclusion.

[leftynyc]

8. I thought she was Jewish

so no, I wouldn't have felt any differently, obviously. I agree they should have rejected her outright if they were going to give her a hard time about entering Israel. I'm not surprised at all the supreme court ruled in her favor.

P.S. EVERYONE should boycott sabra hummus - it's garbage.

[ripcord]

15. Isn't a little strange and a bit ironic

For someone who is boycotting Israel to attend university there?