Israel denies entry to Mamdani advisor, American-Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour

Linda Sarsour, a prominent Muslim American activist who was recently named an advisor to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, has been barred from entering Israel by the Population and Immigration Authority following a recommendation from Israel's Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry.

The move places one of the United States' most visible pro-Palestinian activists at the center of a growing dispute over Israel's policy toward foreign activists who support campaigns against the Jewish state.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said the recommendation was based on a review of Sarsour's public statements and activities, including her leadership of anti-Israel demonstrations and longstanding support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

According to Chikli, Sarsour has consistently and unapologetically declared Israel to be an illegitimate entity.

Recently, Sarsour was “one of the leaders of the protests in support of Hamas in the United States after October 7,” Chikli added. “Sovereign nations protect their borders. Israel will no longer open its gates to those who work to destroy it.”

Chikli also provided a list of what he described as Sarsour's anti-Israel activities, including her advocacy for the BDS movement and appearances on university campuses across the United States at anti-Israel demonstrations. These activities, Chikli said, are intended to “isolate and weaken the Jewish state.”

He went on to declare that “Whoever dedicates their life to isolating and harming Israel will not walk our streets. Period.”

Sarsour responded to the decision on Instagram, where she posted a statement to her followers saying, “It is true. I have been barred by the Apartheid Regime of Israel from visiting Palestine with my family, and the reason they cite is my advocacy for justice and freedom for the Palestinian people and my support for a nonviolent movement.”

The statement appeared to reference her support for the BDS movement, which its supporters describe as nonviolent. Critics of the campaign argue that some of its leading activists have made statements endorsing violence against Israel.

Sarsour went on to say, “Think about that for a second: My advocacy for the concept that all people are created equal and deserve freedom and human rights is so terrifying to a genocidal apartheid regime that they will bar the entry of a prominent Palestinian-American mom and grandmother from New York.”

She added, “Ultimately, this is not about me. I happen to have had the great fortune of visiting Palestine on many occasions, and my inability to go now puts me in the company of millions of my people who are also banned from our homeland – a pain we have to endure until Palestine is free.”

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the National Deputy Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), issued a statement condemning the decision.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli apartheid government for banning Linda Sarsour from visiting her family, friends and homeland in occupied Palestine. This act of sheer racism that the Netanyahu regime has perpetrated against Linda is nothing new. Israel has spent years preventing Palestinians around the world, even Palestinian-Americans like Linda, from visiting their families and their lands.”