Israel bans Palestinian‑American activist Linda Sarsour

Israeli authorities have barred prominent Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour from entering the country, a move announced by Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli. Sarsour, who had planned to visit family in the West Bank this summer, confirmed the travel ban, which revoked a previously approved entry authorization.

Minister Chikli stated the decision followed a ministry investigation and is based on Sarsour’s activism. He cited her role as a leading figure in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America, and what he described as campaigns targeting Israel. In a social media post, Chikli wrote that sovereign nations protect their borders and that Israel will not open its gates to those who work to destroy it. He specifically accused Sarsour of inciting students on American campuses and leading efforts to sabotage defense contracts between Microsoft and the Israel Defense Forces.

Sarsour, a New York-born civil rights organizer and former co-chair of the 2017 Women’s March, contested the reasoning for the ban. In her own statement, she said she was barred because of...