Barred US student appears before Supreme Court for final appeal

A US student barred from Israel over past support for a pro-Palestinian boycott campaign appears before the Supreme Court in a final appeal against the state’s decision

Lara Alqasem’s lawyer tells the court the state should apply common sense when applying the law against BDS supporters.

“Why would she want to enter Israel to call for a boycott?” Yotam Ben Hillel asks. “She committed to not do so, and is aware” she would be deported if she did campaign.

A lawyer for the Hebrew University, where Alqasem intended to study, tells the court that “we think that if people come and live here, they’ll see we’re not an apartheid state.”

The state’s representative argued that the Interior Ministry had the authority to prevent Alqasem’s entry, based on the law and her past actions, which indicated a “central role” in her organization.

The panel of three judges adjourn the hearing ahead of reaching and publishing a decision.

— with AFP