Noam Chomsky denied entry to West Bank by Israel

[© tweed]

(Reuters) - Noam Chomsky, a leading American intellectual highly critical of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians, was denied entry to the West Bank on Sunday by Israeli immigration officials.

Chomsky, 82, told Reuters in a phone conversation from the Jordanian capital, Amman, he had traveled to the Allenby Bridge crossing on the Jordan River where Israeli immigration officials refused to allow him across.

"They apparently didn't like the fact that I was due to lecture at a Palestinian university and not in Israel," Chomsky, who is Jewish, said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64F23H20100516

[2952-0-0]

Uh? Since when is Israel allowed to control who gets in and out of a foreign country?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

And it couldn't have happened to a nicer jerk.

[ilikeverin]

He's just researching linguistics, I'm sure.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

How about they let him in and never let him out.

[Cubby]

A teacher of mine once said the way Chomsky and his ideas are regarded by Americans and their government (or in this case Israel) shows how poorly intellectuals are treated here.

I'm not really familiar with his specific theories and ideas, but I've always had some respect for him based on that class. I know he's very controversial even among academics though.

[k-onmmunist]

As much as I defend Israel, they need to learn to take criticism.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

When you think about it, everyone is the winner here. The Israeli government gets to keep out someone they don't like, Chomsky gets to call himself a victim with a degree of justification and Palestinian students don't have to pretend to find his turgid ramblings interesting.

[Lief 🗽]

Disgusting, but it's about par for the course for that miserable little apartheid state at this point.

[ilikeverin]

A teacher of mine once said the way Chomsky and his ideas are regarded by Americans and their government (or in this case Israel) shows how poorly intellectuals are treated here.

I'm not really familiar with his specific theories and ideas, but I've always had some respect for him based on that class. I know he's very controversial even among academics though.

Heh, within politics science, maybe, but among linguists he is a god.