Nobel Peace Laureate loses Israeli deportation appeal

IRISH Nobel Peace Laureate Mairéad Maguire yesterday lost a legal appeal to prevent her deportation from, and 10-year ban on entering, Israel.

Ms Maguire appeared in the Petah Tikva District Court. According to her legal team, she will now be deported within 48 hours during which time she may file another appeal with the Israeli High Court.

Ms Maguire’s legal representative Salah Mohsen, of Adalah said yesterday: “[The court] decided that she will be deported within 48 hours, leaving her the time, if she wants, to present an appeal to the high court.” At the time of writing, the 66-year-old peace activist had not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling.

Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) national chairperson Freda Hughes said: “The IPSC commends Mairead Maguire’s bravery in this case, and we hope she is aware that she has huge support from Irish civil society. Israel’s actions in this instance have revealed it to once again to be an apartheid state that punishes people like Mairead for their support for Palestinians and human rights in the region.

“Ms Maguire has proven herself to be not only good to the Palestinians but also to Israelis in her open and honest approach and dedication to achieving a just and sustainable peace in the region.”

Upon arrival in Ben Gurion airport as part of a women’s fact finding mission, Ms Maguire was informed she could not enter Israel as a result of her participation as a passenger on the MV Rachel Corrie in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in June.