Israel detains prominent Jewish-American critic at airport

A prominent Jewish-American commentator who has been critical of Israel says he was detained by Israeli airport authorities and interrogated about his political views before he was allowed to enter the country.

Peter Beinart, a contributor to The Atlantic and a CNN commentator, said he was pulled aside when he arrived with his family on Sunday to attend a relative's bat mitzvah.

He says he was sent to a small room where a security official asked about his political activities and past participation in a nonviolent West Bank protest. He says he was freed over an hour later after calling an Israeli attorney.

"The conversation was depressing but not frightening," he told The Forward. "Israel, like America, is getting uglier." The prime minister's office called the incident an "administrative mistake.