Israel blocks Palestinian activist from traveling abroad

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has prevented the director of a Palestinian civil-society group from traveling abroad to attend a professional conference in Mexico. Ubai Aboudi is the head of Bisan, one of six Palestinian groups that Israel last year designated a terrorist organization. Aboudi says he was stopped at the Jordanian border last week and not given any explanation for why he was not allowed to cross. He says the decision to prevent him from going abroad is an Israeli attempt to muzzle him and his political activities. Israeli officials declined to comment on the travel ban.