Dublin lord mayor beats Israel ban due to 'spelling error' Published duration 11 April 2018

image copyright Lord Mayor of Dublin image caption Mícheál Mac Donncha was invited to attend a conference by the Palestinian Authority

Israel has launched an investigation into how the lord mayor of Dublin got into the country despite a ban.

The interior ministry announced on Tuesday that Mícheál Mac Donncha would not be allowed to enter on account of his ties to a pro-Palestinian group which advocates boycotting Israel.

But Mr Mac Donncha tweeted that he was already in the occupied West Bank after flying into Tel Aviv's airport.

Officials are reported to have misspelt the mayor's name on a watch list.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said the mayor would now be given a letter upon his departure informing him that he was barred from future entry to Israel.

Why was the mayor banned?

Israeli officials say Mr Mac Donncha, a Sinn Féin city councillor, has ties to the Dublin-based Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

It supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which campaigns for a complete boycott of Israel over its policies towards the Palestinians.

Israel says the BDS movement opposes the country's very existence and is motivated by anti-Semitism.

In January, the IPSC was among 20 groups blacklisted by Israel's strategic affairs ministry. Individuals holding senior positions in the organisation and those active in promoting the boycott would be denied entry, officials said.

The mayor condemned US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, calling it "a backward step and a severe setback for the cause of peace, reconciliation and justice in Palestine and Israel".

How did the mayor get into Israel?

Israel's interior minister tweeted on Tuesday that Mr Mac Donncha was coming to Israel to "incite against us", adding: "He won't come in!"

However, shortly afterwards the mayor tweeted to say he was already in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

But the ministry later admitted that the mayor had been allowed to pass through Tel Aviv airport because authorities misspelt his name.

A spokesperson said: "We made a mistake at the border crossing."