This morning, Lara Alqasem sat in front of the Israeli Supreme Court, which will decide if she will be permitted to remain in the country.

On October 2, Alqasem was taken into custody by Israeli border authorities and has been in detention since. She was denied entry into Israel on the basis that she is a BDS activist; meaning she supports the international efforts to isolate Israel by advocating a boycott, divestment, and sanction of the country. Alqasem admits to having had a very brief engagement with the movement for several years when she served as the president of the University of Florida chapter of the organization.

Throughout her tenure, Alqasem said that there were, at most, eight members of the SJP chapter she led, and she organized no events. Lawyers for the state were unable to present to the court any remotely compelling evidence to the contrary. The best they had was the fact that she had deactivated her Facebook account before flying to Israel and that sufficed as evidence of consciousness of guilt.

Guilt of what? Conspiring to demonize and isolate Israel in the international community. But is that fair?

The granddaughter of Palestinians, Alqasem chose to study in Israel to deepen her understanding of the country and the complex issues underlying the conflict in the Middle East. That act alone breaches a fundamental tenet of the BDS movement. By studying here, in the minds of BDS activists, she “normalizes” the enemy.

Alqasem was accepted into a graduate program at the Hebrew University on scholarship. She made her arrangements in an orderly fashion, obtaining her visa at the Israeli consulate in Miami. And, as Alqasem’s lawyer observed, virtually all activists denied entry to Israel at the border choose not to challenge the decision. Alqasem did.

There is no question that every country has the sovereign right to refuse entry to any individual. Our expectation of a liberal democracy, such as Israel, however, is that such action will only be taken when absolutely necessary, and then only in the clearest and most compelling circumstances.

So, the question before to the Israeli Supreme Court is this: Is Lara Alqasem a threat to Israeli security?

Full disclosure: I take the BDS movement very seriously. It refers to a broad range of anti-Israel activists. Some of them are violent and advocate for the destruction, in effect, of Israel. Many BDS adherents disseminate viciously untrue information about the Jewish State.

But the law barring BDS activists from entering Israeli must be applied judiciously. Any erosion of the constitutional rights to free speech and expression threaten the essence of any democracy.

At her first formal hearing before the Immigration Tribunal, Alqasem undertook not to endorse any form of anti-Israeli boycott throughout her time in Israel, either in person or online. She further agreed not to travel to the West Bank and Gaza and acknowledged openly that she could be deported immediately if she breached that undertaking. If Alqasem’s lawyer’s interpretation is correct, the judges seemed more inclined to view her not as a subversive but as a young student hoping, quite reasonably, to learn.

When I wrote about the legal issues of the Alqasem case last week, I struggled to maintain an objective tone. I have confidence in the independence and integrity of the Israeli judicial system to arrive at what I believe to be the correct decision. My hopes and expectations have nothing to do with my personal political views regarding BDS and everything to do with the foundational importance of safeguarding freedoms of expression and thought.

Speaking this afternoon following the hearing, Alqasem’s attorney expressed guarded optimism that she will be released and allowed to enter Israel. I certainly hope so.