Anti-Israel European activist expelled, 2nd faces deportation from Israel

Two activists in the anti-Israel International Solidarity Movement organization, citizens of Ireland and Sweden, receive deportation orders after they were arrested entering an army firing range near Hebron.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli authorities issued deportation orders to two far-left anti-Israel activists who were arrested recently in a closed military zone near Hebron in Judea, with one of the two already being expelled from the country.

On Saturday, the two activists were arrested after violating a closed military zone near the Israeli town of Ma’on in Judea and violating orders by IDF personnel to vacate the area.

The two activists, members of the anti-Israel International Solidarity Movement (ISM), were taken into custody after they refused to leave an Israeli army firing range.

Palestinian Arab protesters and foreign anti-Israel activists have held numerous demonstrations in and around the firing range, protesting the demolition of an illegal Palestinian settlement established on land allocated to the firing range.

On May 5, the IDF demolished an illegal encampment, dubbed Khirbet Khallet a-Dabbe, which was built in the firing range and is located entirely in Area C – under direct Israeli control.

ISM activists have since entered the firing range to continue the protests against the encampment’s demolition and to aid attempts by Palestinian Arabs to rebuild it.

Authorities arrested two ISM activists on Saturday and, after questioning, handed them over to the Israeli Interior Ministry’s immigration and border control authority for deportation, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Tuesday morning.

“Over the weekend, two female tourists entered a live-fire military zone near Ma’on in southern Hebron, violating a military order,” he said. “Upon their detention, it was revealed that one of them is a [known] anti-Israel activist abroad. A hearing was conducted for both and they will be deported from the country!”

“I commend the officers of the Judea and Samaria District, District Commander Commissioner Moshe Pinchi, and all the forces operating in the field — for implementing a clear and firm policy: anyone who approaches military zones, tries to disrupt the activity of our security forces, or seeks to defame the Land of Israel — will be removed,” he added.

The activists have been identified as Deirdre D. Murphy, a 70-year-old Irish national from Douglas, Ireland, who has been residing in Swansea, Wales, and 48-year-old Swedish citizen Susanne Björk.

A day after their arrest, Björk and Murphy were brought before a judge in central Israel, where they were issued deportation orders.

Björk was expelled from the country on Monday morning, while Murphy has appealed the court’s decision. She remains in custody until the outcome of her appeal.

Murphy is a long-time anti-Israel activist who has volunteered with ISM in Judea and Samaria for the past 20 years, her son told the Irish broadcaster RTÉ News. She has reportedly been in Judea for the past five weeks.