DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇱 Israel /Elections & Politics

Canada revokes travel authorization for Israeli official Arieh King without explanation

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King was denied entry to Canada after his travel authorization was canceled without explanation.
  • King was scheduled to speak at an Israel Now fundraising event in Toronto.
  • Anti-Israel groups, including the Legal Center for Palestine and Hind Rajab Foundation, claimed credit for the cancellation, citing King's actions in East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King was prevented from traveling to Canada after his electronic travel authorization (eTA) was canceled just days before he was due to speak at a fundraising event. Canadian authorities provided no explanation for the revocation, citing privacy laws when contacted by The Jerusalem Post.

Due to privacy laws, we cannot speak to individual cases. All persons seeking to come to Canada must meet the eligibility and admissibility requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Decisions regarding the granting of travel documents are made independently, on a case-by-case basis, by trained officers. An eTA does not guarantee entry to Canada.

— Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)The IRCC's official response when asked for the reason behind the eTA cancellation.

King expressed frustration, stating that "nobody told me anything, not why, not until when [the cancellation will be in place], nobody answered any question I had." He added that Israel's ambassador in Ottawa sought answers from the Canadian government but received none.

Speculation suggests the cancellation may be linked to intensive campaigning by anti-Israel groups. The Legal Center for Palestine (LCP) and Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a criminal complaint requesting an investigation into King and urged ministers to deny his entry. The Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) also launched a campaign, reportedly involving 6,000 people, to contact Canadian ministers.

nobody told me anything, not why, not until when [the cancellation will be in place], nobody answered any question I had.

— Arieh KingKing's statement on the lack of explanation for his canceled travel authorization.

Following the eTA revocation, LCP and HRF took credit for the decision. LCP stated, "We are glad to see the Canadian authorities act on the facts outlined in our submissions," calling King a "facilitator of ethnic cleansing." HRF declared it a "Victory in Canada."

We are glad to see the Canadian authorities act on the facts outlined in our submissions. As a facilitator of ethnic cleansing in occupied East Jerusalem, Arieh King's actions are not only illegal under international law, they are illegal under Canadian law.

— Legal Center for Palestine (LCP)The LCP's statement after King's travel authorization was revoked.

Separately, HRF filed a request for prosecution with the US Department of Justice ahead of King's planned trip to the US, though this has not yet succeeded. King was able to speak to the Post from America.

Victory in Canada. LCP and HRF succeeded in revoking the travel authorization of Arieh King.

— Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF)HRF's post claiming credit for the cancellation of King's travel authorization.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog