The Israeli government has revoked entry permits for a group of Jewish activists from the United States who were involved in protest actions supporting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. According to Jewish American media publication The Forward, the revocation of permits was communicated via email.
Activist Sam Sherman said he received an email cancelling his travel permit while participating in a seven-week volunteer programme in Masafer Yatta, in the West Bank, to accompany local Palestinian residents against attacks by Jewish settlers. Sherman told Anadolu that he and several colleagues in his group received cancellations almost simultaneously, with just a few minutes' difference between them.
Sherman recounted that military personnel, police and armed settlers photographed his passport during a confrontation in the field. He said his group was present to socialise and accompany residents, but they were treated as though their presence was a criminal act. According to Sherman, senior activists informed him that he would likely not be allowed to re-enter Israel in the future, unless he decided to move and settle permanently.
To date, Israeli authorities have not provided an official explanation for the reason behind the revocation of entry permits for these American Jewish activists. The incident occurs amid escalating waves of violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank.
According to official Palestinian authority data, Israeli settlers carried out at least 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their assets in the first half of 2026. These actions include physical assault, destruction of residential areas, construction of illegal settlements, and intimidation preventing Palestinian farmers from working their own land.
