Israel deports Italian priest over Gaza book criticizing war crimes

The priest, named Don Nandino Capovilla from the city of Venice, Italy, had planned to travel with 15 companions on a pilgrimage to the cities of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the West Bank.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the group was led by Giovanni Ricchiuti, Archbishop and President of the Catholic peace movement Pax Christi.

In a notice issued by Israeli authorities to the priest, it was stated: “He is not authorized to enter Israel due to considerations related to public security, public safety, and public order.”

The notice further read: “This person will be expelled from Israel at the earliest possible time and, until then, will be held in specific facilities.”

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that after being detained in a facility near the airport, Capovilla was flown to Cyprus and eventually returned to Italy via Frankfurt.

In a Facebook post, he wrote that he had been held in detention for nearly seven hours in a facility without access to his mobile phone or luggage.

Capovilla wrote: “I ask journalists to write one line about my situation and dedicate the rest of their articles to calling for sanctions against a cabinet that bombs mosques and churches in the name of its alleged justifications.”

He added: “I will only allow journalists to interview me about my seven-hour detention if they also write about the Palestinian people, who have been imprisoned in their own land for 70 years.”

Ricchiuti, who was able to successfully enter Bethlehem with the rest of the group, said in an interview: “They did not tell me the exact reason for Capovilla’s deportation.”

He said he believes the incident is linked to a book Capovilla recently wrote condemning crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, titled Under the Sky of Gaza.

The back cover of the book reads: “This book condemns those who downplay the significance of the ongoing slaughter of Palestinians by claiming it began on October 7, 2023.”