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Photo: Elad Kavalerchik
Passport check at Ben-Gurion Airport
Photo: Elad Kavalerchik

Iceland president’s wife delayed at Ben-Gurion Airport

Israeli wife of Iceland leader delayed at Ben-Gurion Airport for hour and-a-half for not carrying passport. President Ólafur Grímsson reprimands Israel ambassador to Norway

A few days ago Iceland President Olafur Grimsson abruptly cut short his meeting with Israeli ambassador to Norway Miriam Shomrat after harshly protesting the way his Israeli wife was treated at Ben-Gurion Airport.

 

About six weeks ago the president's wife, Dorit Moussaieff, was delayed for an hour and-a-half at the airport’s border control because she didn't have her Israeli passport with her, only a British passport. Israeli law requires all citizens to arrive and leave the country using an Israeli passport only, even if one possesses another passport.

 

Following a shouting match between Moussaieff and a female officer at the border patrol, the president’s wife was allowed to leave.

 

"This is about to become a serious diplomatic incident,” Moussaieff said. “This is why everyone hates Jews."

 

During Iceland's National Day celebration Ambassador Miriam Shomrat met with the irritated president, who told her that a president's wife should be treated better and complained to Shomrat that the State of Israel hasn't apologized yet.

 

At some point during the conversation the irate president told the ambassador that the meeting was over. When Shomrat left the room, the door behind her seemed to slam shut.

 

A Foreign Ministry official said, "True, the president conveyed his discontent, but the ambassador was not removed from the room; the conversation simply ended."

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.22.06, 19:05
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