Israel expelling HRW country director

Israel was set to expel the country director of Human Rights Watch yesterday after a lengthy court battle over claims he supports a boycott of the Jewish state. American citizen Omar Shakir, the New York-based rights group’s director for Israel and the Palestinian territories, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv yesterday afternoon, where he was greeted by around 20 supporters. He denies the allegations and accuses the Israeli government of seeking to suppress dissent.