Norwegian aid worker banned from Israel

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.Photo: Ørn E. Borgen / NTB scanpix

A Norwegian aid worker employed in Norwegian Church Aid, has been banned from Israel whilst Secretary of State, Ine Eriksen Søreide (H) is visiting the country.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz writes that the relief worker who  has been living in Israel for several years, was prevented from re-entering the country after a trip on Sunday.

Norwegian Church Aid confirmed to NTB that one of their employees were mentioned in the newspaper article.

Søreide’s visit to Israel and Palestine began Sunday. According to Haaretz, Søreide met with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the relief worker was denied entry.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli immigration authorities, Sabine Hadad, claims that the Norwegian woman had previously provided incorrect information in connection with the issuing of visas for other relief workers.

On Sunday it also became known that the Norwegian Palestinian Committee is on a list of 20 organizations refused entry into Israel because they have encouraged a boycott of the country.

“It is very unfortunate that Norwegians who come to follow up various programs and assistance projects have or may be denied entry to Israel,” Søreide commented in a statement on the banning of the Palestinian Committee.

“We have recently seen representatives of civil orginasations from several countries, including from the United States, been denied entry to Israel. Norway is critical of this and has expressed it to the Israeli authorities.

As recent as yesterday, I took this up with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and I repeated it today at the meeting with the Minister for Regional Cooperation, says Søreide in the statement to NTB.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today

————