CNN’s Beinart detained at Israeli airport: ‘I was interrogated about my political associations’

CNN political commentator Peter Beinart claims he was “interrogated about [his] political activities” by Israeli authorities upon entering the country at a Tel Aviv airport before being released.

Beinart, a staunch critic of Israeli policy as it pertains to Palestinians and the West Bank, said in a Monday column in Forward that he was visiting Israel to attend a bat mitzvah for one of his nieces when he was detained by airport security for nearly an hour.

I was detained yesterday at Ben Gurion airport and interrogated about my political associations https://t.co/Hjm2aTsJY9 pic.twitter.com/hBOVVGuQck

— Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) August 13, 2018

{mosads}Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the prime minister “heard of Mr. Beinart’s questioning at Ben Gurion airport and immediately spoke with Israel’s security forces to inquire how this happened. He was told it was an administrative mistake.”

“Israel is an open society which welcomes all–critics and supporters alike. Israel is the only country in the Middle East where people voice their opinions freely and robustly,” the statement adds.

Beinart responded by calling Netanyahu’s explanation a half-apology, adding that “Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans” have to “endure far worse.”

Benjamin Netanyahu has half-apologized for my detention yesterday at Ben Gurion airport. I’ll accept when he apologizes to all the Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans who every day endure far worse https://t.co/k2TYqmHulF

— Peter Beinart (@PeterBeinart) August 13, 2018

Beinart has written on numerous occasions about his opposition to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and has called for boycotting products manufactured there.