JERUSALEM — An Israeli court issued an interim injunction on Wednesday temporarily preventing Israel’s Interior Ministry from deporting Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch.

Shakir, a US citizen, had his work permit revoked earlier this month based on a recent amendment to the country’s immigration laws aimed at fighting supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

This is the first time that Israel is applying the law against a person already inside the country; in previous instances, BDS activists seeking to enter the country have been blocked. If Shakir is expelled, critics say, it places Israel in a highly undesirable group of nations that have banned human rights activists.

Attorneys for Shakir have challenged the ministry’s decision in a legal petition and requested that he be allowed to stay in the country pending the court case. That request was initially turned down by the Jerusalem District Court but on Wednesday the same court reversed the decision, allowing him to remain.

‘‘Denying entry to or, worse, deporting people from a country because they are or were in their past critical of its governmental policies is a classic feature of authoritarian regimes,’’ said Michael Sfard, Shakir’s attorney.

By his own admission, Shakir was once active in promoting boycotts against Israel but says that he has not engaged in such activities since taking his position with Human Rights Watch and being granted a work permit a year ago.

Shakir was initially denied permission to work in Israel, but in March 2017 the Interior Ministry relented and granted him a year-long visa. When he applied to renew that visa, however, he was told that his status was under review. On May 7, Shakir was notified that the permit had been revoked. He was ordered to leave Israel within 14 days.

‘‘After a thorough investigation, it was found that in recent years, Mr. Shakir has worked consistently, prominently, and continuously to promote boycotts against the State of Israel and international companies investing in Israel,’’ said a statement from the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, which is fighting the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.