Palestinian sent to Bristol after being told by Israeli police to ‘leave or spend 10 years in prison’

A Palestinian living in Bristol has spoken about his life in his homeland and his journey to the UK. Khalil (not his real name) is from Bethlehem and is now seeking asylum in the UK.

Khalil – who worked on a farm in Syria’s Golan Heights before leaving for Britain – explained that he was arrested by Israeli police in December along with his cousin and a Gazan man who worked on the farm. He claims he was arrested by Israeli police and locked in the back of a police vehicle for 48 hours.

Khalil claimed the three men were kept in the back of the police car “without food, water or supplies”. He also claimed that it was hot and cramped with no “air” and that if they needed to go to the toilet they were forced to use a small hole under the iron seats.

READ MORE: Pro-Palestine group arrested in overnight raid in Bristol

READ MORE: Red paint thrown at Bristol arms factory after pro-Palestinian protesters take over university campus

“After being held in the police car, the sergeant came to us and said, ‘you have a UK visa, leave or spend 10 years in prison.’ Khalil says the Israeli police paid for a plane ticket and took him to the airport.

Khalil – who has worked seasonally in the occupied Golan Heights for the past three years – said the workers would hide in a room at the farmer’s house after 5pm, when they are asked to leave the area. Because of the long daily commute to military checkpoints, Khalil would stay overnight, but he explained that the landowner was no longer able to provide that protection.

He said: “It was very hard work but well paid. My work permit allowed me to stay there from 5 in the morning until 5 in the evening, but I used to sleep there because I couldn’t travel home every day for six hours.

“We used to run from the Israeli police all the time. It was very sad but funny at the same time when the Israeli police tried to catch us and we ran away.”

He claimed they were also targeted by armed Israeli settlers for speaking Arabic. “This area has the most religious Jews (settlers), they are very dangerous and aggressive,” Khalil continued. “If they see you speaking a language other than Hebrew, they will attack you and you can’t do anything because they are all armed. .”

Khalil, who was on a tourist visa to the UK, had previously visited for short holidays and to see friends. But this time he claimed asylum and was sent to Bristol by the Home Office two months ago.

According to a United Nations report documenting human rights violations in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) made 4,785 arrests between October 7 and December 27, 2023, and in most cases the arrests were not related to a criminal offense. The report also notes an escalation in settler violence over the same period, with many armed as reservists.