Israeli authorities have denied entry to a delegation of Canadian lawmakers attempting to visit the occupied West Bank for meetings with Palestinian officials and human rights advocates, according to Canadian civil society organisations.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said six members of Canada’s Parliament were turned back while trying to enter the West Bank from neighbouring Jordan. The delegation was travelling alongside Canadian community leaders as part of a visit organised by The Canadian Muslim Vote, a nonprofit advocacy group.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the NCCM said Israeli authorities informed the lawmakers that they were deemed “public safety threats”, despite having previously been issued electronic travel authorisations.
“This development is deeply troubling and extremely disappointing,” said NCCM Chief Executive Officer Stephen Brown.
“Israeli authorities granted electronic travel authorisations to all members of the delegation, yet elected Canadian officials and lawful observers were ultimately denied entry on the grounds of being ‘public safety threats’,” Brown said. “While this outcome is regrettable, it is consistent with a broader pattern of the Israeli government restricting access to those seeking to independently observe conditions in the occupied territories.”
The Canadian Muslim Vote also criticised the decision, saying in a social media statement that preventing elected Canadian officials and observers from accessing the region was a matter of public interest that raised serious questions for Canadians.
Israeli ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment from Al Jazeera on Tuesday. Canada’s Global Affairs ministry also did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Israel controls all entry points into the occupied West Bank and has routinely denied access to foreign nationals it considers critical of its policies or its human rights record concerning Palestinians.
According to Canada’s public broadcaster, the delegation included six parliamentarians—five members of the governing Liberal Party and one from the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP).
The NDP lawmaker, Jenny Kwan, told CBC News earlier this week that she anticipated potential obstruction. “At any point, anything could happen,” she said.
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