ATHENS — Greek and Palestinian authorities have condemned Israel’s decision to deny entry to a delegation of Greek trade union representatives traveling to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern late Sunday after Israel denied entry to the Greek nationals to the West Bank and subsequently deported them.
The delegation, made up of Greek citizens representing trade unions, had been invited by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and was heading to Ramallah for a solidarity visit, the ministry said in a statement.
“We express our concern over the Israeli authorities’ denial of entry and the deportation of Greek citizens, representatives of trade unions, whose final destination was Ramallah, after being invited by the Palestinian side,” it said.
“The Greek citizens involved had met all entry requirements into the country and had declared the purpose of their visit to the authorities,” the statement added.
The ministry did not provide further details on the circumstances of the denial of entry or the deportation.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry went further, strongly condemning what it called an “arbitrary and unlawful measure” amounting to a violation of international law and trade union freedoms. It said delegation members were subjected to interrogation, detained for several hours and then deported.
The ministry accused Israel of trying to prevent international delegations from witnessing conditions under occupation, calling the move part of broader efforts to isolate Palestinians from the international community.
Source: Saudi Gazette