Canadian MP blocked from West Bank rejects Israel’s ‘safety concern’ claims

A Canadian lawmaker who was denied introduction to the occupied West Bank, alongside chap politicians and civilian nine leaders, has dismissed Israel’s claims that the delegation posed a menace to nationalist safety.

Jenny Kwan, a Canadian MP with the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), questioned whether Canada’s recognition of an autarkic Palestinian authorities earlier this twelvemonth contributed to Israel’s determination to artifact the group.

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“How is it that members of parliament are a nationalist information concern?” she said successful an interrogation with Al Jazeera. “How is it that civilian nine organisations who are doing humanitarian work… [are] a information concern?”

Kwan and 5 different MPs were among 30 Canadian delegates denied introduction to the Israeli-occupied West Bank connected Tuesday aft Israel deemed them a hazard to nationalist safety.

The delegation, organised by nonprofit radical The Canadian-Muslim Vote, was turned backmost to Jordan astatine the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing, which connects Jordan with the West Bank and is controlled by Israel connected the Palestinian side, aft an hours-long information check.

Kwan said different pistillate MP successful the radical was “manhandled” by Israeli borderline agents portion attempting to support an oculus connected a delegate who was being taken for further interrogation.

“She was shoved – not once, not twice, but aggregate times – by borderline agents there,” Kwan said. “A subordinate of parliament was handled successful that mode – If you were conscionable an mundane person, what other could person happened?”

The delegates had been expected to conscionable with Palestinian assemblage members to sermon regular realities successful the West Bank, wherever residents person faced a surge successful Israeli subject and settler violence.

They were besides readying to conscionable with Jewish families affected by the conflict, said Kwan, who described the three-day travel arsenic a fact-finding mission.

“I cull the conception that that is simply a nationalist information concern,” she said of the delegation’s mission.

Lack of information

Global Affairs Canada, the country’s Foreign Ministry, did not respond to Al Jazeera’s questions astir the incident.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said connected Tuesday afternoon that the ministry was successful interaction with the delegation and had “expressed Canada’s objections regarding the mistreatment of these Canadians portion attempting to cross”.

The Israeli subject did not respond to Al Jazeera’s repeated requests for comment.

In a connection to Canada’s nationalist broadcaster CBC News, the Israeli subject bureau that oversees affairs successful the occupied Palestinian territory, COGAT, said the Canadian delegates were turned backmost due to the fact that they arrived “without anterior coordination”.

COGAT besides said the group’s members were “denied for information reasons”.

But the delegates said they had applied for, and received, Israel Electronic Travel Authorization permits earlier they reached the crossing. Kwan besides said the Canadian authorities informed Israel up of clip of the delegation’s plans.

“I’m not rather definite precisely what benignant of coordination is required,” Kwan told Al Jazeera.

“We followed each measurement that we’re expected to follow, truthful I’m not rather definite precisely what they mean oregon what they’re referring to.”

Canada-Israel ties

Canada, a longstanding protagonist of Israel, faced the ire of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aft it joined respective European allies successful recognising an autarkic Palestinian authorities successful September.

“Israel volition not let you to shove a panic authorities down our throats,” Netanyahu said successful a code astatine the United Nations General Assembly successful New York City.

The designation came aft months of wide protests successful Canada and different Western countries demanding an extremity to Israel’s genocidal warfare against Palestinians successful Gaza, which has killed much than 70,000 radical since October 2023.

Rights advocates besides called for enactment to stem a surge successful deadly Israeli unit against Palestinians successful the West Bank.

Against that backdrop, members of the Canadian delegation questioned whether their introduction refusal was portion of an Israeli effort to forestall radical from witnessing what is happening connected the crushed successful the Palestinian territory.

“‘What are they trying to hide?’ is the question that comes to mind,” Fawad Kalsi, the CEO of the alleviation radical Penny Appeal Canada and 1 of the delegates, told Al Jazeera connected Tuesday.

Kwan, the Canadian MP, raised a akin question, saying, “If radical cannot witness” what is happening connected the crushed successful the West Bank, “then misinformation and disinformation volition continue”.

She added that she besides saw overseas doctors being turned backmost to Jordan astatine the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing arsenic they tried to bring medicine and babe look into the West Bank.

“If we arsenic members of parliament could look denial of entry,” she said, “imagine what is going connected on the crushed with different people, and the difficulties that they face, that we bash not cognize about.”