Israeli Supreme Court Orders Deportation of Peace Activists

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, August 26, 2002

Israeli Supreme Court Orders Deportation of Peace Activists

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The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday affirmed the Interior Ministry's deportation order against a group of 52 left-wing French Jewish and Arab activists who arrived in Israel last Tuesday, Israel Radio reported.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai argued that the members of the group, which include five Jews and 47 Arabs, had initially hidden the fact that they intended to visit the West Bank city of Bethlehem to meet local Palestinians and said they were going to Nazareth in the northern area.

He said that after it was decided not to allow them into the country, they raised such a commotion that the pilot refused to take them back to France, thus raising a suspicion that they would disturb the public order during their visit.

A spokesman for the group said that they had come to hold a peace dialogue with Israeli Jews and Arabs and Palestinians.

After Israeli interior officials denied their entry, the French peace activists appealed to the Jerusalem District Court which said they should be allowed into the country.

The Supreme Court overturned the lower court's ruling, saying that the local court did not have the authority to nullify the decision of the ministry.

Thirty seven members of the group have planned to return to France within the next 24 hours. The Interior Ministry is expected to ask the remainder of the group to leave as well.

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