On the morning of February 21st, Israeli occupation authorities refused Ana Miranda, a Member of the European Parliament from Galicia, access to Palestine and sent her back to Spain. Miranda had been scheduled to stay a few days in Palestine as a part of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine (DPAL).
Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, MEP Miranda was not permitted to enter Israel and was thus unable to complete her responsibilities as a member of the Delegation to Palestine of the European Parliament (DPAL). The Israeli government disregarded her official status as an MEP and a member of the DPAL. The other MEPs and delegates were admitted, while MEP Miranda was detained at the border. In a Facebook post, Miranda highlighted the disrespect demonstrated by the Israeli border forces towards her and her position as an MEP.
Ana Miranda, a Member of the European Parliament, was sent back to Madrid from Israel shortly after 5 o‘clock in the morning.
Despite being granted permission by the Israeli consular authority in Brussels to travel to Israel, the Israeli occupation authorities still deported her upon her arrival for the DPAL mission to Palestine.
She was removed from the country because of her participation in Freedom Flotilla III in 2015, which attempted to bring necessary humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza by breaching the blockade. She was apprehended and then sent away, along with others in the flotilla.
Miranda commented that she was paying a consequence for defending human rights and speaking out against the Israeli occupation of Palestine by being refused entry and deported.
The European Free Alliance has expressed its disapproval of the way Ana Miranda MEP was treated overnight, as well as the refusal of Israel to permit her entrance for the purpose of visiting Palestine to fulfill her obligations as MEP and member of the Delegation for Relations with Palestine.
EFA, as a European political party, strongly objected to the Israeli authorities‘ disrespect for the European Parliament and its representatives. MEPs should be allowed to fulfill their obligations without fear of intimidation or obstruction.
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