Israeli writer fighting Indian deportation order

An Israeli-British writer received a deportation order from the local court in Kochi, India, and plans to appeal the case to India’s Supreme Court, the Times of India reported on Friday.

Born in England, 62-year-old Susan Nathan immigrated to Israel in 1999 and later achieved notice for her 2004 book “The Other Side of Israel,” which explored the lives of Israel’s Arab population and was translated into several languages.

According to the report, Nathan, who has been based in India for several years, came under suspicion in 2011 when a translation of her book appeared in the local native language of Malayalam and became a point of controversy. India authorities suspect Nathan of contact with religious extremist groups working in southern India.

Nathan is not the first Israeli to face deportation from the Indian city recently. Kochi security services deported an Israeli couple running a Chabad center in the city last week. They were accused of “suspicious activities” and of engaging in religious activities without previously indicating they would be doing so in their visa forms.

The seaside city of Kochi (formerly called Cochin), in southwest India, was home to a traditional Jewish community for centuries. The Jewish neighborhood in Kochi’s old city, famously called “Jew Town,” is a popular destination for Israeli and Jewish travelers.