Italian priest refused entry to Israel, deported due to 'public security reasons'
An Italian priest was refused entry to Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport over 'public security issues' and deported to Greece, Italian media reported on Monday.
The priest, Don Nandino Capovilla from Venice, was set to take part in a pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the West Bank along with fifteen others, under the leadership of Archbishop Giovanni Ricchiuti, the president of Pax Christi Italy. Pax Christi is a Catholic peace movement with 120 member organizations worldwide.
Capovilla was formerly the national coordinator of Pax Christi and has consistently spoken about 'the genocide of the Palestinian people.' He recently co-authored a book with Betta Tusset featuring a compilation of stories about life in the Gaza Strip.
According to the online news site Veneto TourGuide, Capovilla was stopped immediately after stepping off the plane.
The Italian daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, reported that Capovilla was then presented with a form titled 'Decision regarding the refusal of entry into Israel,' which he refused to sign.
The form reportedly read: 'He is not permitted to enter Israel,' with the reason for refusal cited as 'Considerations relating to public security, public safety, or public order.'
It further stated that 'the person will be removed from Israel as soon as possible and in the meantime will be held in a designated facility.'
Flight back to Italy
Corriere della Sera added that Capovilla spent the remainder of the day in a facility pertaining to the Israeli authorities near the airport before flying to Cyprus, then to Italy via Frankfurt.
On his Facebook page, Capovilla said he spent seven hours in a holding facility before having his phone and suitcase returned.
He called on journalists covering the story to dedicate just one line to his well-being. The rest, Capovilla said, should be devoted to 'demanding sanctions against a state that bombs mosques and churches as part of the 'errors' it makes.'
'I do not authorize any journalist to interview me about my seven hours of detention unless they also write about the people who have been prisoners in their own land for seventy years,' he added.
Ricchiuti, who successfully reached Bethlehem with the rest of the delegation, told the newspaper that he was not told what the specific reason for Capovilla's deportation was.
He believed, however, that it was due to a book that Capovilla recently published, named Under the Gaza Sky.
The blurb of Under the Gaza Sky condemns those who reduce the 'ongoing massacre' of Palestinians 'to something that started on October 7, 2023.'
Within the book, the chapters are called 'When They Take Away Your Freedom to Leave,' 'When They Take Away Your Roof,' 'When They Take Away Your Bread,' and 'When They Take Away Your Water.'
As for the Pax Christi 'pilgrimage of justice in the Holy Land,' it has taken a decisively anti-Israel stance. The website calls on the Italian Parliament and government to condemn Israel, suspend all weapon shipments to Israel, and recognize a Palestinian state.
'We tried everything, pulled every string, but it was no use, unfortunately,' Ricchiuti said regarding the refusal to allow Capovilla entry. 'We're here, from Rome and Venice, on a pilgrimage as part of our campaign for justice and peace: [build] bridges, not walls.'
The Jerusalem Post reached out to the Population and Immigration Authority for comment.
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