Denied Entry to U.S., BDS Co-Founder Omar Barghouti Condemns McCarthyite Repression in U.S. & Israel

Critics are demanding answers after the Trump administration refused to allow prominent Palestinian human rights activist Omar Barghouti to enter the United States for a speaking tour, despite his valid U.S. visa. Barghouti is co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS, an international campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. When he arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on April 10, Barghouti was told the United States was denying him entry. He was not given an explanation. Barghouti and his supporters say the move was motivated by his involvement with the BDS movement, calling it a form of "McCarthyite repression." We reached Omar Barghouti in Ramallah to talk about his travel ban, the growth of the BDS movement and attempts to quash it, and the recent Israeli election that saw Benjamin Netanyahu re-elected prime minister for a fifth term.