Israel’s Supreme Court had harsh words on Wednesday for the government’s decision to deny entrance to an American student due to her previous activism in a pro-boycott group.

Lara Alqasem, 22, has been detained at Ben Gurion Airport for over two weeks.

Ms Alqasem, who was accepted to a Master’s programme at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, had previously been a member of a pro-Palestinian students’ organisation that supports the BDS movement.

Her appeals against deportation back to the United States were rejected by the Tel Aviv District Court and she was given recourse to appeal to the Supreme Court.

During the hearing on Wednesday morning, the judges questioned whether the government had any evidence that Ms Alqasem was currently involved in boycott activity or had ever been a senior activist, as stipulated by the legal criteria.

“We have here someone who is not an activist, declares that she is not an activist and is coming here to study. How does this advance the fight against BDS?” asked Justice Uzi Vogelman.

Justice Neal Hendel, questioning the state’s representative, said: “the law is the law, and the minister has discretion, but is there a sufficient basis for revoking her entry at this stage?”

The court did not deliver its ruling verdict on Wednesday.

The state insists that Ms Alqasem continued attending pro-boycott events in 2018 and deleted her social media accounts before arriving in Israel, indicating that she was trying to hide her activity.

Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan has said he would reconsider allowing her to enter Israel if she publicly disavowed her support for BDS  and apologised for her previous activity.

Ms Alqasem’s lawyers and the Hebrew University, which is publicly supporting her appeal, insist that her willingness to attend an Israeli university is proof enough that she no longer supports the boycott.