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.
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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.
