Nearly one hundred peace activists from North America and Europe were refused entry into
About 7.30 pm, more than a hundred activists from all over the world arrived from Jordan to the Israeli border crossings in the Palestinian occupied territories at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, telling that they on their way to Bethlehem at the invitation of its Palestinian governor and of civil society organizations there, and that they were carrying with them notebooks and school equipment for Palestinian pupils about to begin their school year. However, their entry into the
The Israeli separation wall close to the
“They did not even let us get off the bus,” said Olivia Zémor of Paris, one of the organizers of the visit. “They collected our passports and a few minutes later returned them with each and every passport stamped ‘Entry denied’. The soldiers refused to give any explanation, they just said – that`s it, your entry is denied, go back to Jordan.” Zémor noted that last year, when she and her fellows tried to reach the Palestinian Territories through Ben Gurion Airport, they were told, “Why don’t you come through the Jordan bridges?.” “So we did try to get through the
“Violent settlers, those who under the name of ‘price tag’ set olive trees and mosques on fire, are all the time getting reinforcements from abroad. For the settlers’ friends, Jews and Christians,
As the evening proceeded, the activists confirmed that they were forced to turn back by Jordanian and Israeli border officials. One activist accused