Noam Chomsky might have made it through an Israeli border crossing into Palestinian territory on his second attempt, but the aged intellectual, frustrated by what he called Israeli games, has opted instead to deliver his lecture via videoconference.

Haaretz:

Despite reports in the Israeli media that Israel would allow Chomsky to cross, the linguist discovered yesterday [Monday] that there was no official guarantee of this. He told his hosts at Birzeit he felt the Israeli authorities were playing games. His daughter and friends, who are traveling with him, also said they prefer not to tire the 81-year-old with another fruitless journey.

Chomsky spoke yesterday to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, whom he was supposed to meet in Ramallah. Fayyad’s office released a statement saying the two men “discussed the political situation and developments in Palestine.” Fayyad said he “strongly condemns the decision of the occupation forces to prevent Chomsky from entering Palestinian land.”

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