Israel is deporting an American human rights worker under a law that allows a crackdown on those who disagree with its policies.
Omar Shakir, a California native who is the Israel and Palestine director for Human Rights Watch, has been stripped of his work permit and ordered to leave the country within 14 days, according to a statement from the major international NGO.
The expulsion comes after accusations that he supports a boycott of Israeli goods, part of a movement for citizens outside Israel to stop doing business with it over its policies towards Palestinians.
Israel passed a law last year that barred entry for any activist who supporting the "BDS" movement, which also calls for divestment and sanctions.
Shakir had been barred from receiving a visa last year, but ultimately got one and moved to the country.
"This is not about Shakir, but rather about muzzling Human Rights Watch and shutting down criticism of Israel's rights record," said Iain Levine, who heads the New York-based organization.
HRW's statement compared the blocking of activists to similar moves in countries such as North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.
An Israeli government "dossier" on Shakir, published by HRW, noted that he had shared and retweeted posts about the BDS movement, and also focused on his time in a pro-Palestinian group at Stanford University.
Human Rights Watch's statement says neither Shakir nor the organization support a boycott of Israel as a state, but it has called for businesses to stop working with settlements in territories occupied by Israel.
The Israeli action against Shakir was condemned by other human rights activists such as Amnesty International, which said it "is yet another worrying sign of the country's growing intolerance of critical voices. We stand in solidarity with @OmarSShakir and strongly condemn the decision."
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Daily News that American officials were aware of the deportation reports and disagree with the BDS movement, but also offered light criticism of the move.
"The Trump administration's strong opposition to boycotts, divestiture and sanctions of the State of Israel is well known. The United States values freedom of expression, even in cases where we do not agree with the political views espoused," the spokesperson said.
"We also respect the right of sovereign nations to decide who enters their countries. I refer you to the Israelis for more information."
Previous uses of the anti-BDS law included the blocking of five members of an American interfaith delegation from entering Israel last summer.
Comments powered by CComment