Court blocks Israeli bid to deport Nobel laureate Maguire
A bid by the Israeli government to deport Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire was blocked by the country’s Supreme Court today.
The peace activist from the North was arrested at Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv.
She had tried to reach Gaza on a blockade-busting vessel in June. After capturing that ship, Israel detained and deported her and other activists on board.
Maguire’s lawyer, Fatmeh el-Ajou, said Israel stopped her from entering because of her previous deportation.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Haddad said those deported from Israel cannot return for ten years, except with prior co-ordination, which Maguire did not have.
“She was told that before and she came here anyway,” Haddad said.
The court ruled Maguire could not be deported until after a judge rules on her appeal on Friday.
She won the Nobel prize in 1976 for her work with the Peace People in the North.
