NASA Physicist Barred From Visiting Israel

By Matis Glenn

(123rf)

U.S. officials reportedly told a NASA physicist to cancel her trip to Israel amid the latter country’s judicial reform controversy, according to Haaretz.

Amber Straughn, who was set to speak at the Israel Physical Society’s annual gathering, wrote on social media that she was not permitted to travel to Israel. She wrote that she was “A little sad today…was supposed to be traveling to Israel for some technical and public talks. But my travel authorization was revoked yesterday.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden exchanged barbs this week after the former announced that the coalition government would halt progress on its judicial reforms. Biden warned Israel that “they cannot continue on this road,” and asked Netanyahu to walk back the legislation that has already passed. When asked if Netanyahu would be invited to the White House, Biden responded that he would not be “in the near term.” Netanyahu responded by saying that Israel wouldn’t make decisions based on “pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.”

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