Swiss BDS activists deported

Becca Noy

A BDS activist who has a history of harassing IDF soldiers was deported back to Switzerland upon arriving in Israel yesterday morning. The Interior Minister issued the deportation order against her after the IDF received intelligence information indicating that she was planning to come to Israel again.

Archives Photo Credit: Reuters/Channel 2 News

A Swiss BDS activist was deported from Israel yesterday morning (Tuesday). Upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport, the BDS activist was taken in for questioning and then deported, after Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued a deportation order against her.

The activist, Rita Pia Freya, has visited Israel several times in the past. She is known to the IDF mostly due to her activities at crossing checkpoints in the Jericho area. In the past, she has harassed and recorded IDF soldiers stationed in the region. Freya also sent the information she gathered on the IDF to sources abroad.

Deri issued the deportation order after the IDF received intelligence information indicating that Freya was planning to revisit Israel.

This is the first time that a deportation order has been issued against a BDS activist from Europe. Sources within the Interior Ministry said that it is possible that additional deportation orders will be issued against BDS activists in an attempt to combat the organizations calling for a boycott of Israel.