A road leading to the main border crossing between the Israel-occupied West Bank and Jordan.ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images
Six Canadian MPs were denied entry to the West Bank on Tuesday by Israeli authorities, prompting Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand to publicly voice her disapproval of their treatment.
The NDP and Liberal MPs, part of a delegation of about 30 Canadians on a fact-finding visit, were prevented from entering the West Bank at the Israeli border crossing with Jordan.
Ottawa had given Israeli officials prior notification of the visit, and the MPs’ electronic travel authorizations had been approved, according to Jenny Kwan, an NDP MP who was part of the visiting group.
Israel’s embassy in Ottawa said in a statement that the delegation was denied entry because the group that had organized the visit, the non-profit The Canadian Muslim Vote, had received “the vast majority of its funding” from Islamic Relief Canada, which is a subsidiary of Islamic Relief Worldwide, a well-known Islamic aid organization that Israel has designated a terror group.
“The State of Israel will not allow the entry of organizations and individuals who are associated with designated terror entities,” the statement said.
The Israeli government alleged in 2014 that Islamic Relief Worldwide had funnelled money to Hamas, a charge the Britain-based group has vehemently denied. The group describes itself on its website as a charity that works to relieve poverty around the world.
The Canadian Muslim Vote, which encourages civic engagement and enfranchisement, said it had organized a similar visit to the Middle East last year with no problems. It said Israel’s allegation about association with a terrorist entity was a smear.
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Ms. Anand said Canada has raised its objections with Israel about the treatment of the group.
She said she had received several phone calls and texts in the middle of the night after the Canadians were denied entry and tasked her department with following up with the Israeli embassy.
“These are parliamentarians who were simply seeking to visit in a professional way, and my understanding is that denying their entry, with that objective in mind, is not in keeping with the bilateral relationship that we have shared with Israel over the course of a number of decades,” she said in an interview.
The delegation denied entry included Ms. Kwan and five Liberal MPs: Sameer Zuberi, Fares Al Soud, Aslam Rana, Iqra Khalid and Gurbux Saini.
Ms. Kwan has been critical of Israeli treatment of Palestinians. Mr. Zuberi asked a senior border agency official at a Commons committee in October whether Canada’s border staff were doing security checks on visitors who have served in the Israel Defence Forces.
The delegation also had representatives of humanitarian organizations, including Islamic Relief Canada. These groups alleged in a statement that members of the delegation had been intimidated, and verbally and physically harassed by Israeli authorities.
Ms. Kwan issued a statement saying: “Electronic travel authorizations to enter the West Bank were initially approved but were subsequently revoked on the day of our arrival. Israeli authorities cited ‘public security, public safety, or public order considerations’ as the basis for the denial.”
She said that during the trip to Jordan there had been meetings with Palestinians as well as the Canadian ambassador there. The delegation also met families living in refugee camps and with organizations delivering humanitarian assistance.
“I categorically reject the assertion that elected officials and civil society organizations engaging in humanitarian and fact-finding work pose any risk to public safety, security, or public order,” she added.
Ms. Kwan said the trip was organized to deepen delegates’ understanding by speaking to Muslim, Jewish and Christian families about their experiences.
“The use of security and public order narratives to limit legitimate fact-finding work is completely unacceptable,” she said.
Umair Ashraf, executive director of The Canadian Muslim Vote, accused the Israeli government of a smear.
The Canadian Muslim Vote, he said in a statement, “is a proud donor-funded organization that receives contributions from qualified donees, and our support comes from folks who believe that a healthy democracy belongs to all of us.”
Islamic Relief Canada said in a statement that it has strict compliance controls, with comprehensive financial oversight and independent audits, and that Israel’s allegations about terrorist ties are baseless.
It said when the Israeli government first made allegations against Islamic Relief Worldwide’s operations in the West Bank in 2014, the group suspended programs and commissioned an independent investigation that reviewed projects, partners, finances and staffing and found no evidence of links to terrorism.
“Israel’s allegations about Islamic Relief Canada are false and reckless. Islamic Relief Canada is a Canadian-registered humanitarian charity operating under Canadian law, with rigorous compliance controls and extensive independent auditing,” said Tufail Hussain, the group’s chief executive officer.
“The IRC staff who were denied entry into the West Bank by Israeli authorities today had received pre-authorization to enter by the very same embassy making these ridiculous accusations.”
Islamic Relief Worldwide did not immediately respond to a request for comment.