A spelling snafu at Ben-Gurion Airport enabled Dublin Mayor Mícheál Éamonn MacDonncha to enter Israel, despite his presence on a blacklist for entry to Israel.
MacDonncha, who led a push to expel Israel’s ambassador from his city, made it through security at the airport due to an inaccurate spelling of his name. The Population and Immigration Authority blamed the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, saying that office provided the incorrect spelling. The Ministry of Strategic Affairs denies making the mistake.
A day before MacDonncha’s arrival in Israel, the Dublin City Council resolved to expel Israel’s ambassador in response to the Israeli military’s killing of rioters who attacked the Gaza border fence as part of the Hamas “March of Return” demonstrations.
MacDonncha said he would travel to Ramallah in solidarity with Palestinians “who suffer violence by the Israeli forces, as we saw recently in Gaza with shooting at protesters.”
The Dublin City Council also adopted a resolution to boycott Hewlett-Packard because “its technology is used by the Israeli government at checkpoints in the territories,” and “is used in identification cards and naval systems that enable Israel to impose apartheid on the Palestinian people.”
In May 2017, the council approved the flying of a Palestinian flag above its building for a month to support Palestinians “suffering from brutal apartheid and the 50th anniversary of the occupation.”
Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said he would ensure that when MacDonncha leaves the country, he will be handed a written letter banning him from entering Israeli territory in the future.
