[2] Detractors compared the law to U.S. President Trump's recently passed "Muslim travel ban" and claimed that it violated the right to freedom of speech.
The Entry Into Israel Law of 1952 gave discretion to the Minister of the Interior to bar any individual, including a visa holder, from entering the country.
Prior to the amendment, Israeli authorities "felt free" to detain or question critics of Israel when they attempted to enter the country.
[4] The bill was submitted by Israeli lawmakers Bezalel Smotrich from the Jewish Home party and Roy Folkman from Kulanu.
[1] The law bars the issuance of a visa or residency permit for the targeted foreigners,[13][14] but allows the Ministry of the Interior to grant exemptions at its discretion.
[4] Kenneth Bob, president of American leftist Zionist organization Ameinu, said that the legislation reinforces the claim that Israel uses "the power of the state to violate the freedom of speech of their opponents.
[14] Olav Fykse Tveit, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said that the law would prevent him or other senior leaders of the organization from visiting the holy sites in Israel and the West Bank.
[3] The law also affects Palestinians who need temporary residency permits to stay with their spouses in Israel while their family unification process is pending.
[20] On 15 August 2019, Israel caused some controversy by refusing entry to two US congresspersons, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, known for their support for BDS.