Israel Deports US Academic Critical of Its Policies

Author: 
Mohammed Mar’i, Arab News
Publication Date: 
Mon, 2008-05-26 03:00

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 26 May 2008 — Israel deported a controversial Jewish-American academic who is a fierce critics of its polices and who has lauded the Hezbollah organization, the Haaretz daily reported yesterday.

Norman Finkelstein was detained for several hours at Ben Gurion International Airport late Friday through Saturday before being put on an aircraft back to Amsterdam, his original point of departure.

The Israeli daily quoted the Shin Bet internal security organization as saying that Finkelstein “is not permitted to enter Israel because of suspicions involving hostile elements in Lebanon,” and because he “did not give a full accounting to interrogators with regard to these suspicions.”

Finkelstein, who has accused Israel of “exploiting” the Holocaust, met recently with Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon, and praised organization whose July 2006 snatch of two Israeli soldiers during a cross-border raid sparked a 33-day war between the Jewish state and the organization.

Finkelstein told Haaretz he did his best to provide candid and comprehensive answers to all the questions put to him. “I am confident that I have nothing to hide. Apart from my political views, and the supporting scholarship, there isn’t much more to say for myself: alas, no suicide missions or secret rendezvous with terrorist organizations. I’ve always supported a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. I’m not an enemy of Israel.”

Finkelstein said he was asked whether he had met with Al-Qaeda operatives, whether he had been sent to Israel by Hezbollah and how he intended to finance his stay in Israel.

— With input from agencies

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