Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has called for EU action after she was refused entry to Israel and put on a return flight to Belgium.
Ms Boylan was part of a European Parliament delegation alongside French MEP Rima Hassan and officials. Both MEPs are members of the Left group in the parliament and have been critical of Israeli policies in the past.
Israeli authorities said the delegation was not allowed to enter because of a law against visits by those who have published calls for a boycott of the state.
Ms Boylan told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that the refusal of Israel to allow the delegation to travel through Israel to reach Palestine was an insult to all members of the EU.
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She raised breaches of data and privacy when her passport, mobile phone and iPad were taken from her.
The Dublin MEP, who is chair of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Palestine, pointed out that the EU was the largest donor of support to Palestine and its officials and elected representatives needed to be able to be on the ground in Palestine as part of this work.
“It’s particularly insulting that this happened on the same day that the EU itself held a series of talks with Israel as part of the EU-Israel association council, but MEPs and officials trying to travel through Israel were blocked and deported,” she said.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar held talks with senior officials in Brussels on Monday.
Ms Boylan said her delegation had also been due to meet members of the Knesset. The visit had been about “dialogue and engagement”, she said.
In a separate statement, Ms Boylan called for action over the incident, saying: “European leaders must send a message to Israel and make it clear that they cannot continue to act without consequences.”
She also said she would be following up with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ireland’s EU Commissioner Michael McGrath.
A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy said: “According to the Law of Entry to Israel, foreigners who have published a public call to impose a boycott on the State of Israel, as defined in the Law for the Prevention of Harm to the State of Israel through Boycotts, 5771–2011, or has undertaken to participate in such a boycott, will not be authorised to enter Israel."
