The U.S. has denied entry to Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti, a leader in the movement to boycott Israel, NPR is reporting.
Despite holding valid travel documents, Barghouti was informed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel that he could not fly to the U.S., NRP attributed the information to the Arab American Institute, a Washington-based advocacy group that arranged the trip.
Barghouti, who lives in Israel, was told that immigration officials in the U.S. had told the American consul in Tel Aviv to deny him approval to come to the U.S., NPR said. Barghouti is the co-founder of the BDS movement, which pushes a boycott, divestment and sanctions to try to pressure Israel on settlement and security policies on the West Bank.
"Barghouti was not provided an explanation for his denial of entry beyond 'immigration matter,' " the Arab American Institute said in a statement And NPR noted he has a master’s degree from Columbia University and lived in the U.S. for a decade during the 1980s.
He was scheduled to speak at New York University and Harvard and had meetings planned with Washington policymakers. In addition, he was planning to attend the wedding of his daughter, who lives in the U.S.
"It is disturbing that policymakers and the American people will not have the opportunity to hear from Omar directly about his views," Zogby said.
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