Shora Esamilan, ISM activist from Sweden, has arrived back in her country after being deported from Israel. She was forced onto a plane by five policemen, including two brought in specially from Austria. On her way onto the plane, the police beat her with batons.
Shora was brutally interrogated by the Israeli general security services (GSS, or Shabak in Hebrew) for over 10 hours on her arrival in Ben Gurion airport. Israel’s expulsion of hundreds of non-violent activists reflects the fear the Israeli authorities have of non-violent resistance in Palestine. Activists like Shora are deemed a ‘security threat’. It seems that being present in Palestinian villages and cities and attending non-violent demonstrations threatens this so-called ‘democracy’.