British student says Israeli settlers took him at gunpoint after he stepped in to protect Palestinian children. He was later deported

Finn Joughin, a 22-year-old student from Britain, has been deported from Israel following his involvement in pro-Palestine activism within the occupied West Bank. This development follows his work as an international volunteer with Proactive Presence, an organization dedicated to protecting Palestinian communities from settler violence. 

As reported by Al Jazeera, his time in the region came to an abrupt end, when he was sent back to the UK and handed a 10-year ban from returning to Israel or the occupied Palestinian Territory. The situation reportedly began to escalate in the village of Umm al-Khair, which is located in the southern West Bank. This specific area is classified as Area C under the Oslo Accords, meaning it remains under full Israeli administrative and security control. 

The village has become a frequent site of tension, having faced continuous attacks from Israeli settlers over the past few years. A local Palestinian activist was reportedly shot dead in the village last year, and a settler has since been charged in connection with that death.

He was reportedly shoved and kicked 

On that day, Joughin was present when a group of five or six teenagers arrived at a football pitch where local children were playing. Joughin described the scene, noting, “I had just taken a seat on the side of the pitch when maybe five or six teenagers arrived and attempted to kind of take over the pitch from the Palestinian kids.” 

The tension grew quickly as settler families arrived to join the teenagers, shouting at the Palestinian residents. Joughin and other activists reportedly attempted to shield the children from the growing crowd. When he tried to prevent settlers from tearing down a fence, he was reportedly shoved and kicked, eventually being placed in a chokehold by adult settlers who twisted his arm behind his back.

Footage shared on social media captured the moment Joughin was taken to the illegal Carmel settler outpost at gunpoint. Once inside the outpost, he was held in what he described as a concrete shed, which he was later told was a bomb shelter. 

During this time, the settlers reportedly took his wallet and phone while demanding his passport. He recounted that the settlers made various accusations against him, including labeling him an “anarchist” and making comments about his supposed “friends in Iran”.

He soon realized that the arrival of Israeli police would not lead to his release. “This was my first realisation that the Israeli police and military were going to be no less cordial or sympathetic to my situation than the settlers themselves,” he noted. 

Although a lawyer initially told him police were investigating him for assault, the situation shifted when he was informed that a “higher authority” had decided to hold him in custody. He was formally arrested and, on August 30, taken in handcuffs to a magistrate’s court in occupied Jerusalem.

Legal proceedings were cut short when his lawyer and the public prosecutor reached an agreement for his deportation. While held at an immigration detention centre near Ben Gurion International Airport, Joughin reportedly faced intense questioning regarding his political views on the war on Gaza and Iran. 

During his time in detention, he reportedly witnessed a bruised Palestinian detainee begging his mother not to protest for fear of her own arrest. An escort officer observed this and reportedly remarked to Joughin, “Welcome to Israel”. Regarding the comment, Joughin said, “Whether he meant that somewhat bittersweetly or whether he was entirely laughing at the situation, I couldn’t quite tell, but either way it felt pretty real.”

Faced with the threat of extended detention, Joughin signed the deportation papers and waived his right to appeal. Despite the intensity of the experience, he remains firm in his convictions, and says that he does not regret anything.

“It’s scary and of course it was a surreal experience to go through, but it’s something I don’t regret at all doing. It’s something that I am proud to say that I was there for… after seeing some of the bravest people I’ve ever met,” he stated. He is currently working to clear his name and challenge the decade-long ban, with the hope that he might one day return to Umm al-Khair.