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I’m not Palestinian, nor am I Arab American, nor a Muslim. So I will never know what it’s like to be denied entry to Israel or Palestine on that basis, as @RashidaTlaib & @IlhanMN have been.
However, this is my passport, stamped in 2014 when Israel denied my entry at the border.
However, this is my passport, stamped in 2014 when Israel denied my entry at the border.
I had traveled to Israel & Palestine multiple times previously, and returned in July of 2014 to visit friends in the West Bank and assist in a community development project there. I was detained for ~10 hours at Allenby. I was ultimately denied entry for my anti-occupation views.
I wrote about the experience at the time, as many Americans have done after being denied entry by the IDF solely based on our political views. I was told then, by border security who greeted me when the IDF sent me back to Jordan, that the ban was for 5 years.
I haven’t attempted to return to Israel/Palestine in the five years since then. I have no desire to. But I share this story only to say to Congresswomen @RashidaTlaib & @IlhanMN: I stand in solidarity with you. Thank you for speaking out and fighting to change this.
