Afshin Rattansi talks to Lauren Booth, broadcaster and journalist after the arrest of Professor Jeff Halper.

Minnesota-born Halper, an Anthropology lecturer from Ben Gurion University who also chairs the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions, was among dozens of international activists who sailed from Cyprus over the weekend in an attempt to break an Israeli naval blockade of the coastal enclave.

Halper was arrested after he passed through the Erez crossing back into Israel, since he had violated a military order prohibiting Jewish civilians from entering Gaza that was legislated pursuant to the Disengagement in 2005. Police originally thought to release Halper conditionally following preliminary questioning, but apparently decided to keep him in lock-up overnight.