Israel Detains An American Student Who Occupation of Palestine

A 22-year old American student named Laura Alqasem, from Southwest Ranches, Florida, was detained by Israeli authorities on October 2nd for being a public supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS) against the government of Israel. The issue was over its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Former activist and president of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida, Alqasem appealed to the Jewish state’s Supreme Court in Western Jerusalem on earlier this week to avoid expulsion from the country. An opportunity to study human rights at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem university is also at stake.

The high court froze her deportation Sunday, October 14, until it rules on the appeal on Wednesday, October 17.

Last year in 2017, the Israeli government passed a law banning entry for any individual foreign national who calls for a public boycott against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the authorities’ recent actions taken against Alqasem.

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is an international campaign initiated in 2005 by more than 100 Palestinian NGOs to urge countries, schools, and other businesses to boycott Israeli products and services coming from the West Bank. It also promotes divestment from the Israeli government and or Israeli organizations working in the West Bank. Additionally, BDS urges sanctions on the government of Israel over its occupation of Palestine. In 2018, the BDS movement was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian Parliamentarian Bjornar Moxnes of the far-left Red Party.