Israel Instructs Air Lines To Cancel Tickets Of Passengers With “Welcome To Palestine" Campaign

Friday July 08, 2011 02:17

by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News

Israeli ministry of Interior has sent out directives to all air lines asking them to cancel reservation of passengers Israel believes they are part of the “Welcome to Palestine Campaign”. The Israeli Authorities sent out a list of names to the airlines saying that their entry to Israel will be refused.

So far, Swiss Air Lines and Lufthansa and some other air lines have declared they would comply with these directives.

“Failure to comply with this directive will result in delay on the flight and their return on the same flight,” the letter said.

The letter asked the air lines not to board the listed passengers on the flights to Israel.

The list of names remains unknown, however, it is expected that this list will grow. In Europe, German federal police said as long as passengers had valid tickets and passports, they had no grounds to stop any activists at airports there, the AP reported.

The campaign organisers issued a press statement condemning the Israeli measure and demanded that passengers coming to visit Palestine to be treated like Israeli passengers treated in other countries airports.

The campaign organisers expect over 600 internationals to come to Tel Aviv airport on Friday, to join the nonviolent manifestations of rejection to the wall Israel is building in the West Bank on July 9 and other activities during the week.

On this day in 2004, the International Court of Justice at The Hague issued its advisory opinion ruling the wall illegal and demanded its removal. Israel has failed to comply, as the ruling is not binding.

On the same day in 2005, Palestinian civil society organizations made out their call to the International Community to boycott Israel, divest from it and impose sanctions until Israel adheres to the International Law. This call has become an International movement known as the BDS movement.