apologies for posting something which wont interest the bulk of people on
this mailing list (its not about climate change). but i personally know some
of the people who are involved in the following expedition (one is a very,
very good friend - i trust them with my life) i therefore feel obliged to
spread word of their plight.
merry christmas to you all.
nav
------
Latest news 9pm: lawyer says Israeli authorities will try to deport the 3
early tomorrow morning before she has a chance to file a court request to
freeze the deportation and pursue the matter in court. Their phones seem to
have been taken away and they are incommunicado.
Press release: 20th December 2005
Peace workers denied access to Bethlehem
In the early hours of this morning the Israeli authorities at Tel Aviv
airport stopped a group of international observers who were en route to a
Christmas peace conference in Bethlehem.
After lengthy interrogations, two (UK) were allowed to enter the country and
three were denied entry on ‘security grounds’. The three (S Africa, Italy,
Australia) intend to challenge this decision in the Israeli courts. Now
they expect to spend Christmas in jail, rather than in Bethlehem.
The group are experienced peace campaigners who were on their way to the
“Celebrating Non-Violence” conference to be held in the Palestinian town
early next week. All five have worked previously as international observers
in the Palestinian territories.
Spokesperson Charlotte Carson states: “Our colleagues are being stopped from
attending a conference about non-violent activism because they are
non-violent activists. Clearly, Israel is afraid of the power of
non-violence.”
The detained are all members of Access for Peace in the Middle East, a
pressure group that intends to challenge the criminalisation of peace
workers and the deliberate isolation of Palestinians from international
observation and assistance.
Robin Horsell, a UK-based South African who formerly campaigned against
apartheid gave his reasons for making this legal challenge:
“Israel gives spurious grounds for deportation or refusal of entry. But the
real reason is our support for human rights and justice. We hope this legal
challenge sets a precedent that in future will allow international citizens
full access to Palestinian lands.”
This campaign is supported by many prominent peace campaigners, including
Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Nonviolence International, George
Monbiot, AngieZelter, Jeremy Hardy and European Jews for a Just Peace.
Notes:
Since 2000, the Israeli authorities have denied entry to the Occupied
Palestinian Territories to hundreds of international citizens who intend to
work with grassroots organisations such as the International Solidarity
Movement, Christian Peacemaker Teams, the International Women’s Peace
Service, and many other NGOs that provide humanitarian assistance to the
occupied civilian population.
Israel calls itself ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’, yet its
practice of obstructing the passage of hundreds of observers and peace
activists calls its democratic credentials into question.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent organisation (the equivalent of
the Red Cross), during the last five years 3754 Palestinian men, women and
children have died from Israeli military action. The vast majority of these
casualties have been civilians.
For more information, contact: Charlotte: +44 (0) 7768 305897
[log in to unmask]
or Roger +44 (0) 7785 792107 [log in to unmask]
|