By M10News Europe Desk | Source: EU Observer & Sinn Féin
An Irish Member of the European Parliament, Lynn Boylan, has been banned from entering Israel and Palestine for a period of five years.
Lynn Boylan, a Sinn Féin MEP representing Dublin, received the travel ban just days before a planned trip to Palestine in her role as chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the Palestinian territories.
Travel Ban Cited Without Specific Reasons
Israeli authorities provided no specific reason for the ban, instead citing a broad list of potential causes. One justification reportedly included Boylan’s calls for International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants to be upheld.
This trip was the delegation’s second attempt this year to visit Palestine, following an earlier February mission during which Boylan, French MEP Rima Hassan, and two EU officials were detained and deported by Israeli authorities. All participants had received prior approval for the visit.
MEP Criticises Israel’s Actions
In a statement to EU Observer, Boylan described Israel’s action as “an insult to the European Parliament and its elected representatives and is certainly not the behaviour of a democracy.” She called for the European Union to consider imposing reciprocal travel restrictions on Israeli politicians in response.
Boylan added, “Unfortunately, this is just the latest two fingers that Israel has shown to the international community. They’ve given no specific reason for this ban, but one of their justifications was bizarrely that I had called for ICC arrest warrants to be upheld. I would have thought that advocating for international law should be the position of all people and governments.”
Defending Parliamentary Mandate and International Law
The MEP said her work in Gaza and Palestine is guided by her mandate from the electorate and her right to freedom of expression, a principle she says is central to the European Union. She criticised Israel for multiple violations of international law, including the occupation of the West Bank and the establishment of illegal settlements.
Boylan warned that allowing a foreign state to dictate the movement of MEPs sets a “very dangerous precedent,” adding: “If Russia were to block the delegation for relations with Ukraine, then the parliament would rightly demand action and consequences, so why is this not the case when it is Israel committing the violations? If we stop enforcing international law on one country, then we risk giving a free hand to all rogue states to act as they see fit.”
Impact on the European Parliament’s Role
Elected last autumn as chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine, Boylan’s role includes promoting parliamentary ties with both the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian civil society. It also involves undertaking missions to meet with Palestinian leadership and communities directly during ongoing conflicts.
The five-year travel ban effectively prevents Boylan from fulfilling this aspect of her mandate, raising concerns about the EU’s ability to engage diplomatically in the region.
Calls for EU Response
Boylan and Sinn Féin are urging the European Union to take action against Israel’s restrictions, highlighting the importance of upholding international law and ensuring that elected representatives can perform their duties without interference from foreign powers.
Editing by M10News Europe Desk | Contact: europe@m10news.com
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