Just a month after it was announced that model and actress Shashi Naidoo was heading to Gaza to "educate herself on issues in the area", she has allegedly been blocked from entering the area by Israeli authorities.
The trip was arranged after Naidoo sparked outrage by referring to Gaza as a "sh*thole" and claimed they were not using aid and resources in helping the population but pursuing an "ambition to annihilate Israel".
According to a statement from the trip's organisers, human rights and Palestinian solidarity organisation Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) South Africa, she was prevented from entering the country yesterday.
"Israel prevented Naidoo passage to Palestine. Israeli authorities control access to Palestine and blocked her on the orders of Israel's Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and the recommendation of Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan," the statement said.
The organisation slammed the decision and claimed it was another example of Israel "exposing its lie that it is open to 'objective' visitors".
The Israeli embassy in South Africa told TshisaLIVE that the state had the right to deny entry to "those seeking to harm the country" and slammed the BDS.
"[The] embassy of Israel can confirm that Shashi Naidoo was denied entry into Israel on July 25 2018. Israel has passed a law that, like any rational sovereign state, it denies entry to those [people] seeking to harm the country."
After apologising for her remarks, Naidoo has taken a break from social media and was not immediately available for comment.
Israel won't let Shashi Naidoo visit Gaza
Just a month after it was announced that model and actress Shashi Naidoo was heading to Gaza to "educate herself on issues in the area", she has allegedly been blocked from entering the area by Israeli authorities.
The trip was arranged after Naidoo sparked outrage by referring to Gaza as a "sh*thole" and claimed they were not using aid and resources in helping the population but pursuing an "ambition to annihilate Israel".
According to a statement from the trip's organisers, human rights and Palestinian solidarity organisation Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) South Africa, she was prevented from entering the country yesterday.
"Israel prevented Naidoo passage to Palestine. Israeli authorities control access to Palestine and blocked her on the orders of Israel's Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and the recommendation of Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan," the statement said.
The organisation slammed the decision and claimed it was another example of Israel "exposing its lie that it is open to 'objective' visitors".
The Israeli embassy in South Africa told TshisaLIVE that the state had the right to deny entry to "those seeking to harm the country" and slammed the BDS.
"[The] embassy of Israel can confirm that Shashi Naidoo was denied entry into Israel on July 25 2018. Israel has passed a law that, like any rational sovereign state, it denies entry to those [people] seeking to harm the country."
After apologising for her remarks, Naidoo has taken a break from social media and was not immediately available for comment.