Early this morning, authorities at Ben Gurion airport refused to allow Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire to enter Israel. Maguire was on her way to join fellow peace laureate Jody Williams and other members of the Nobel Women’s Initiative Delegation to Israel and Palestine.
In the coming days, the all female delegation will travel throughout the region to bear witness to the struggles, creativity, and dedication of women on both sides of the conflict who are working to build a sustainable peace.
Israeli officials say Maguire is being denied entry into the country due to her participation in the Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla in June of this year. Mairead was a passenger aboard the MV Rachel Corrie which was intercepted and illegally boarded by the Israeli military while attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
Maguire intends to appeal the current deportation decision and will remain in detention until she is given a court hearing.
LEARN MORE
Read the full press release here.
Follow our delegation to Israel and Palestine through our Blog, Facebook, Twitter.
Nobel Peace Winner detained in Israel, Mya Guarnieri, Huffington Post, 28 September 2010
Nobel Laureate refused Israel Entry, UTV News, 28 September 2010
Irish Nobel Laureate denied entry into Israel, CNN, 28 September 2010
Israel refuses entry to NI Nobel Peace Winner, BBC, 28 September 2010