Labour has condemned the de facto travel ban being enforced by the Israeli government on Palestinian human rights defender and co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, Omar Barghouti.
Barghouti is due to speak in Dublin on May 24th as part of the Robert Tressell Festival.
The Israeli government has decided not to renew Barghouti’s travel documents, which in effect has denied him the right to travel.
“Omar Barghouti is a world renowned human rights defender and a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award. He is among those who have led Palestinian civil society and the global solidarity movement in peaceful resistance to the Israeli regime of illegal military occupation and apartheid in Palestine,” Labour TD Duncan Smith explained.
“However, it has emerged that the Israeli government is failing to renew Mr Barghouti’s travel documents, as legally required, and is in effect denying him the right to travel. His legal status is that of a permanent resident of Israel and he requires documentation from it to travel and return home. This de facto travel ban is also hindering his ongoing PhD studies at the University of Amsterdam.”
Smith said, “it is crucial that the world hears the voice of people such as Mr Barghouti, who has struggled with his many colleagues in the nonviolent global BDS movement to end international state, corporate and institutional complicity in Israel’s grave human rights violations.”
“The International Court of Justice determined in January 2024 that Israel is perpetrating a ‘plausible genocide’ in Gaza and, in July 2024, that its illegal occupation amounts to apartheid.”
“Mr Barghouti’s lawyer has submitted timely applications to the Israeli Ministry of Interior for a standard renewal of his travel documents, but the fear is that they are seeking to halt his ability to return to his PhD program and to attend the Robert Tressell Festival where he is due to speak and meet with progressive activists from the US and UK.”
“We are calling on the Irish government and the EU to apply all the pressure needed to end the de facto travel ban and ensure that Omar can have his voice heard everywhere,” he stated.