International condemnation for barring Chomsky from entering WB

International condemnation for barring Chomsky from entering WB

VIENNA, — Reporters Without Borders organization has expressed astonishment at the Israeli authorities step of barring entry of renowned Jewish-American scholar Noam Chomsky into the West Bank last Sunday.

The organization said in a statement on Friday that the ban was not in the interest of Israel’s record of freedom of expression and tolerance.

It said that any critic of Israeli politics should have the right to express his views on Palestinian lands, adding that the step reflected to what extent Israel was not accepting views counter to what it believes in.

Chomsky arrived in Jordan on Sunday 16/5 along with his daughter Aviva and two of his friends. He tried to enter the West Bank but the Israeli occupation authority detained him at the border terminal between Jordan and the West Bank and after hours of questioning by border officials, Chomsky’s passport was stamped with “Denied Entry” and he was sent away.

Chomsky is a professor of linguistics at the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a prominent critic of US foreign policy. He has also frequently spoken out against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.