BDS in the West Bank: They came to pick olives - police suspect they had another goal

Two foreign nationals were arrested in Samaria on suspicion that they came to pick olives in order to provoke filmed confrontations and promote campaigns against Israel. The police attribute to them support for BDS and ties to terrorist organizations, and seek to have them removed from Israel.

Two foreign nationals were arrested yesterday (Thursday) in the Samaria area, on suspicion that they came to olive-picking sites with the intent to provoke incidents, create friction, and lead to disturbances. The arrest followed intelligence activity by the Foreign Desk of the Judea and Samaria District Police, which raised suspicion that the two intended to generate confrontations in the field, document them, and use them to promote media campaigns against Israel. The police claim that the two support the BDS movement, are identified with terrorist organizations, expressed support for these organizations, and even made statements calling for the destruction of the State of Israel. Upon their arrival at the picking area, they were arrested by IDF forces from the Binyamin Brigade and transferred for questioning at the inter-organizational headquarters of the Judea and Samaria District. At the end of the investigation, their case was transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority for a hearing and consideration of their removal from Israel. The police note that the operation is part of a joint effort with the IDF to prevent friction during the olive-picking season, and that foreign elements arriving to stir up confrontations could harm public security and Israel's image on the international stage.