Two self-proclaimed “citizens of the world” who tried to enter Israel with home-made “passports” left the country voluntarily last week after spending 36 hours in detention at the Ben Gurion Airport jail. Gary Davis, a former American, and Parsifal Taorha, who described himself as a former Swiss national, were denied entry to Israel because they held no recognized valid passports.
Initially, Davis refused to leave on his own volition. The pilot of a TWA airliner that was supposed to take the pair out of Israel would not have them aboard because Davis had threatened to create a disturbance. He and his companion were apparently persuaded to leave peacefully by Able Nathan, the free-lance “peace envoy.” who talked to them in jail.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
