Israel expels belgian NGO activists

Several Belgian nationals, members of a delegation of Palestinian-Belgian friendship associations, were arrested on Thursday in the airport of Tel Aviv before being expelled this Friday from the Israeli territory, the Belgian foreign ministry announced.

The delegation, headed by Pierre Galand -- chairman of the Belgian-Palestinian association -- and comprising Belgian elected officials, were arrested as they were trying to leave for Ramallah to take part in a social forum. Despite the Belgian embassy's protests, security agents searched them and detained them in the airport.

Among the delegation, there was also the secretary general of the Belgian national center of cooperation for development.

In the last six months, Israel has expelled several European activists who sought to go to the Palestinian territories.