Letter to the Editor: Release Lara Alqasem
Oct. 8, 2018On Oct 2, Lara Alqasem, 22, a former University of Florida graduate was detained at Ben Gurion Airport and ordered deported after Israeli security looked her up on Canary Mission, a right-wing blacklist site. Alqasem was going to study to get an MA at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and had received a visa valid for a year for that purpose. She remains in detention. Lara's detention and possible deportation raises major concerns about study abroad programs in Israel which might well deny entry to students of Palestinian origin or anyone who does not pass the right-wing litmus test. Unfortunately such tests are also being used to deny entry to people engaged in social justice work. Just recently, Professor Katherine Frank who arrived in Israel to lead a delegation of human rights activists, was detained and deported. In light of these concerns a number of faculty from the University of Florida and around the country have signed the statement below for the release of Lara Alqasem.
