Category: In the Media

Israel Expels Top Ma’an Journalist

Ma’an News Agency

January 21, 2010

Bethlehem – Ma’an – A week after he was detained and then questioned over news stories criticizing Israel, a top Ma’an journalist was deported on Wednesday.

Jared Malsin, chief English editor at the Bethlehem-based news network, had been fighting to attend a hearing on a deportation order issued last Tuesday in Tel Aviv after a vacation in the Czech Republic.

Malsin, an American citizen, says he was pressured by Interior Ministry staff into dropping a legal challenge  and was subsequently placed onto a El Al flight to New York early Wednesday. “I had no idea I was waving anything, no clue,” he said, telling Ma’an that Israeli officials provided him a document to withdraw his case without an attorney present, and offered a misleading explanation over what he was signing.

Malsin said he wrote a note indicating that he was leaving the facility “without personal coercion.” “But none of this was my decision,” he emphasized in a phone interview minutes after arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York early Thursday morning, rejecting reports that he left Israel voluntarily. “There’s no such thing as a voluntary deportation. I was deported, period.”

Malsin said he was under the impression that the “agreement” allowed him to leave the airport while his case continued. Indeed, his attorney, Castro Daoud, said he had recently informed Malsin that he would seek such a ruling from District Court Judge Kobi Vardi. On Tuesday, Judge Vardi ordered a hearing to consider the decision to deport the journalist.

Explanations from official Israeli government representatives were contradictory. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad told The Associated Press that Malsin raised security suspicions during an investigation upon his arrival. The same day, however, she was also quoted by Reuters as denying Malsin was refused a visa for political or security reasons.

Allegations referenced in court documents were that Malsin had been uncooperative and had violated his visa status during an eight-hour interrogation, the pretext for which was never clear, that ultimately resulted in the deportation of his girlfriend, Faith Rowold.

Among the Interior Ministry’s complaints, according to documents obtained by Ma’an and others, were that Malsin had authored articles “inside the [Palestinian] territories,” including some “criticizing the State of Israel.”

International press association have strongly backed the journalist.

“We condemn this intolerable violation of press freedom,” said Aidan White, the head of the International Federation of Journalists, the largest union of media professionals worldwide. “The ban of entry in this case appears to be as a reprisal measure for the journalist’s independent reporting and that is unacceptable.”

“This kind of interference has no place in a democracy,” he added.

Shahar Peer relieved as threats of Pro-Palestinian protesters dissipate

Uzi Dann | Ha’aretz

21 January 2009

Shahar Peer’s first-round match at the Australian Open passed without incident Wednesday despite threats of a pro-Palestinian protest. Israel’s top tennis talent woke up to headlines in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper claiming that protesters were planning to target her match against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic on an outside court.

But there was no sign of any trouble during her 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-1 win here over Hradecka. “I heard there was going to be something, but I didn’t know what was happening,” Peer said. “I’m a tennis player – that’s what I’m concentrating on.”

Peer may be focusing on tennis, but the protesters are focused squarely on her. Peer’s appearances at the season-opening WTA event in Auckland, New Zealand were disrupted by demonstrators against Israel’s policies on the Palestinians.

It all started a year ago, at the same two tournaments – Auckland and the Australian Open. At those events, in the immediate wake of Israel’s Gaza offensive, Peer quickly realized that her status as the Israel’s most famous individually performing athlete had become more of a liability than an asset.

Photographs of her in an Israel Defense Forces uniform made things worse. The group Australians for Palestine used the photo on posters depicting images of destruction in Gaza and a child’s face plastered over Peer’s racket strings. Emblazoned across the montage were the words: “Shahar Peer serves for apartheid Israel.”

Shortly after the Gaza operation, Peer was refused a visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Women’s Tennis Association reacted to the snub with a heavy fine on tournament organizers (Dubai authorities have already extended Peer a visa for this year’s tournament long before such authorization is usually extended).

Why Peer and not Dudi Sela, the Israeli competitor in the Australian Open’s men’s bracket? (Sela was ousted in four sets at Monday’s first-round match with Ivan Sergeyev.) Why is there no resistance to soccer player Yossi Benayoun of Liverpool or Tel Ben Haim of Portsmouth, a club with an Israeli coach in Avram Grant to boot?

Members of the British group the Palestinian Return Center said there is a difference between Israeli sportsmen who play on English teams and those who play individual sports, like tennis, or on one of Israel’s national teams.

The tennis player, it seems, never merely represents him or herself, but will always be a kind of national ambassador. Many of Peer’s colleagues are chafing at what they see as a conflation of politics and sports – U.S. superstar Andy Roddick sat out Dubai as protest against the Dubai slight, and Serena Williams offered supportive words of her own.

“This is absurd, but I’m glad there were no protests in the stadium,” Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem, told local media at Peer’s match yesterday.

Referring to the Munich Olympic massacre of 11 Israeli athletes, he said, “You must remember that to us, every such threat reminds us of 1972.”

Peer takes on 100th-ranked Tzvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in today’s second-round match. Security and police officers are expected to be out in force.

Israel withholding NGO employees’ work permits

Amira Hass | Ha’aretz

20 January 2010

The Interior Ministry has stopped granting work permits to foreign nationals working in most international nongovernmental organizations operating in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, Haaretz has learned.

In an apparent overhaul of regulations that have been in place since 1967, the ministry is now granting the NGO employees tourist visas only, which bar them from working.

Organizations affected by the apparent policy change include Oxfam, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Terre des Hommes, Handicap International and the Religious Society of Friends (a Quaker organization).

Until recently, the workers would register with the international relations department at the Social Affairs Ministry, which would recommend the Interior Ministry to issue them B1 work permits. Although the foreign nationals are still required to approach the Social Affairs Ministry to receive recommendations to obtain a tourist visa, the Interior Ministry is aiming to make the Ministry of Defense responsible for those international NGOs and also requiring them to register with the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), which is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.

Foreign nationals working for NGOs had understood they would receive a stamp or handwritten note alongside their tourist visa, permitting them to work “in the Palestinian Authority.” Israel is refusing work visas to most foreign nationals who state that they wish to work within the Palestinian territories, such as foreign lecturers for Palestinian universities and businessmen.

Israel does not recognize Palestinian Authority rule in East Jerusalem or in Area C, which comprises some 60 percent of the West Bank. The NGO workers say they’ve come to believe that the new policy is intended to force them to close their Jerusalem offices and relocate to West Bank cities. This move would prevent them from working among the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem, defined by the international community as occupied territory.

The organizations fear the new policy will impede their ability to work in Area C, whether because Israel doesn’t see it as part of the Palestinian Authority or because they will eventually be subjected to the restrictions of movement imposed on the Palestinians. Such restrictions include the prohibition to enter East Jerusalem and Gaza via Israel, except with specific and rarely obtained permits; and prohibition to enter areas west of the separation fence, except for village residents who hold special residency permits and Israeli citizens.

One NGO worker told Haaretz that the policy was reminiscent of the travel constraints imposed by Burmese authorities on humanitarian organizations, albeit presented in a subtler manner.

NGO workers told Haaretz that they had been informed by the COGAT official that a policy change was forthcoming, as early as July 2009. When a number of them approached the Interior Ministry in August to renew their visas, they found that their applications had been submitted to a “special committee.” They were not told who constituted this committee, and had to make do with a “receipt” confirming that they had submitted the request. The workers said the tourist visas they received differed from each other in duration and travel limitations, and surmised from this that the policy has not been entirely fleshed out.

Latest in a series of steps

A number of NGO workers who spoke with Haaretz voiced deep apprehensions about having to submit to the authority of the Defense Ministry. The groups are committed to the Red Cross code of ethics, and therefore see being subjugated to the ministry directly in charge of the occupation as problematic and contradictory to the very essence of their work.

Between 140 and 150 NGOs operate among the Palestinian population. Haaretz could not obtain the exact number of foreign nationals they employ.

The new limitations do not apply to the 12 organizations that have been active in the West Bank prior to 1967. Those groups, which include the Red Cross and several Christian organizations, were registered with the Jordanian authorities.

The new move by the Interior Ministry is the latest in a series of steps taken in the last few years to constrain the movement of foreign nationals in the West Bank and Gaza, including Palestinians with family and property in the occupied territories. Most of those who have been effected are nationals of countries with which Israel has diplomatic relations, especially Western states. Israel does not apply any similar constraints on citizens of the same countries traveling within Israel and West Bank settlements.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the only relevant authority empowered to approve the stay of foreign citizens in the Palestinian Authority is the coordinator of government activities in the territories. “The Interior Ministry is entrusted with granting visas and work permits within the State of Israel. Those staying within both the boundaries of Israel and the Palestinian Authority are required to secure their permits accordingly,” the ministry said.

“Recently, a question was raised on the issue of visas granted to those staying in the Palestinian Authority and in Israel, as it transpired that they spend most of their time in the PA despite having been provided with Israeli work permits,” the statement continued. “The matter is under intense discussions, with the active participation of the relevant military authorities, with a view to finding the right and appropriate solution as soon as possible.”

We must not renege on war crime laws

The Guardian

16 January 2010

We are shocked at suggestions by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Ivan Lewis and foreign secretary David Miliband that Britain may consider changing its laws to avoid any future attempts to prosecute suspected war criminals, Israeli or otherwise. The UK must not renege on its international treaty obligations, particularly those under the fourth Geneva convention to seek out and prosecute persons suspected of war crimes wherever and whoever they are, whatever their status, rank or influence, against whom good prima facie evidence has been laid. We reject any attempt to undermine the judiciary’s independence and integrity. A judge who finds sufficient evidence of a war crime must have power to order the arrest of a suspect, subject to the usual rights to bail and appeal.

The power to arrest individuals reasonably suspected of war crimes anywhere in the world should they set foot on UK soil is an efficient and necessary resource in the struggle against war crimes, and must not be interfered with (Report, 6 January). Nor should the government succumb to pressure from any foreign power to alter this crucial aspect of the judicial process. We urge the government to state clearly that it will not alter the law on universal jurisdiction and will continue to allow victims of war crimes to seek justice in British courts.

John Austin MP

Katy Clark MP

Frank Cook MP

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Ann Cryer MP

Paul Flynn MP

Neil Gerrard MP

John Hemming MP

Paul Holmes MP

Kelvin HopkinsMP

Brian Iddon MP

Lynne Jones MP

Tom Levitt MP

Martin Linton MP

Bob Marshall-Andrews MP

Gordon Prentice MP

Linda Riordan MP

Terry Rooney MP

Baroness Jenny Tonge

Baroness Lindsay Northover

Bob Russell MP

Clare Short MP

Phyllis Starkey MP

Sir David Steel

Sandra White MSP

Derek Wyatt MP

Tayab Ali, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas Solicitors

Sir Geoffrey Bindman

Richard Burgon, solicitor

Daniel Carey, Public Interest Lawyers

Ian Cross, solicitor

Jim Duffy, Public Interest Lawyers

Shauna Gillan, barrister, 1 Pump Court

Andrew Gray, solicitor

Tessa Gregory, Public Interest Lawyers

Beth Handly, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors

Michael Hagan, solicitor

Michelle Harris, barrister, 1 Pump Court

Susan Harris, solicitor

Jane Hickman, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors

Sam Jacobs, Public Interest Lawyers

Salma Karmi-Ayyoub, barrister

Paul Kaufman, solicitor

Aonghus Kelly, Public Interest Lawyers

Daniel Machover, Chair of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights

Michael Mansfield QC

Anna Mazzola, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors

Sarah McSherry, Partner, Christian Khan solicitors

Clare Mellor, solicitor

Karen Mitchell, solicitor

Simon Natas, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas solicitors

Sophie Naftalin, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights

Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, Human Rights Legal Aid Fund

Henrietta Phillips, solicitor

William Seymour, solicitor

Navya Shekhar, solicitor

Phil Shiner, Public Interest Lawyers

David Thompson, solicitor

Paul Troop, barrister

Mohammed Abdul-Bari, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain

Anas Altikriti, British Muslim Initiative

Lindsey German, Stop the War Campaign

John Hilary, Director, War on Want

Kate Hudson, Chair, CND

Betty Hunter, General Secretary, Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Dan Judelson, Jews for Justice for Palestinians

Hugh Lanning, PCS Deputy General Secretary

John McHugo, Chair, Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine

Gerry Morrissey, General Secretary, BECTU

Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary, UNITE.

Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK

Jackie Alsaid LLM

Rachel Bowles

Prof Haim Bresheeth

Dale Egee

Sarah El-Guindi

Deborah Fink

David Halpin

Sharif Hamadeh

Samira Hassassian

Professor Ted Honderich

Victor Kattan

Asad Khan

Miriam Margolyes

Professor Nur Masalha

Professor Steven Rose

Professor Jonathan Rosenhead

Andrew Sanger

Dr Aisha Sarwar

Tareq Shrouru

Tony Woodley, UNITE Joint General Secretary

Israel crushes local dissent, attacks global criticism

Mel Frykberg | Inter Press Service

19 January 2009

Israel is lashing out at international criticism and attempting to crush local dissent in what appears to be
growing sensitivity to reproach of its policies.

Several recent incidents have dominated media headlines, including the arrest of a Jewish-American journalist on the grounds of security, threats by an Israeli minister against international diplomats and the arrest of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists.

The raid on a foreign activist´s home in Ramallah, supposedly under full Palestinian control, by a large Israel Defence Forces (IDF) contingent allegedly for a visa infringement, and her subsequent arrest at gunpoint and deportation has also raised eyebrows.

“We will not allow a situation where every country will kick us. If there will be an attack on Israel, we will leave all options open, including the expulsion of ambassadors,” Israel´s deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon said on Saturday.

“We do not want to argue with anyone, but we will not sit idly by,” he added. Ayalon´s outburst followed, amongst other incidents, a much publicized political confrontation with Turkey over a Turkish TV programme critical of Israel.

This outburst led Israeli analyst and journalist Zvi Barel to comment acerbically in the Israeli daily Haaretz, “Britain wants to boycott Israeli goods? We’ll summon the British ambassador and have him sit on a bed of nails.”

“The United States handles the settlements unfairly? We’ll point an unloaded gun at the American ambassador’s head and pull the trigger, just to scare him. We’re not murderers. We’re just trying to frighten, which, as is well known, creates respect. Just ask the Godfather,” was Barel’s scathing comment.

Furthermore, Haaretz recently broke a story over the extent of Israel’s political blackmail of the Palestinian Authority (PA) over last year’s Goldstone report, which has received unanimous support internationally, and highlighted how sensitive the Jewish state is to negative publicity.

Justice Richard Goldstone was sent by the U.N. to the region to investigate war crimes committed by both Palestinian resistance groups and the IDF during Israel’s military assault on Gaza last year.

His report overwhelmingly criticised Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians and its disproportionate use of force.

Goldstone’s report was due to be transferred from the U.N. General Assembly to the Security Council after receiving overwhelming support from the U.N. Human Rights Council.

To everybody’s surprise, not least the Palestinians, PA President Mahmoud Abbas asked for a vote on the report’s recommendations to be postponed until March this year.

According to Haaretz, Abbas’ request to the U.N. Human Rights Council to delay the vote followed a meeting with Yuval Diskin, the head of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet.

Abbas was warned by Diskin that “if he did not ask for a deferral of the vote on the critical report on last year’s military operation, Israel would turn the West Bank into a ‘second Gaza’.” A senior IDF officer is alleged to have made similar threats to the PA at around the same time.

Diskin, who reports directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, also warned the Palestinians that the easing of restrictions on movement within the West Bank would be revoked as well as permission to operate a second mobile phone company Wataniya.

The PA would have lost tens of millions of dollars in compensation payments to the company.

Israeli sensitivity to its critics was highlighted again several weeks ago in the early hours of the morning when the Ramallah apartment of Czech national Eva Novakova, 28, was raided by Israeli soldiers after they broke her door down.

Israeli armed personnel carriers surrounded the area while about 20 heavily armed soldiers took up positions on surrounding rooftops.

Novakova was forced at gunpoint to dress and was subsequently arrested and deported to Prague on the grounds she had overstayed her visa. She was denied access to a lawyer.

As Ramallah is supposedly under full Palestinian control, this kind of military operation is usually reserved for arresting armed Palestinian resistance fighters who are suspected of involvement in attacks against Israelis.

Critics allege Novakova’s political involvement in peaceful protests against Israel’s separation barrier, which expropriates Palestinian farmland illegally for the benefit of Israeli settlers primarily, and the international support received for the protests, is a more likely explanation for the overkill.

In a further crackdown on an increasingly critical media, the arrest and detention of Jared Malsin, a Jewish-American journalist and English editor at the Palestinian news agency Maan, at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport last week has sparked outrage.

Malsin, who has been based in the West Bank for two years, was accused of being a security threat for writing reports hostile to Israel and reporting from within the Palestinian territories.

On Friday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called for Malsin’s deportation order to be revoked while The Committee to Protect Journalists called for his immediate release.

“We condemn this intolerable violation of press freedom,” said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary. “The ban of entry in this case appears to be a reprisal measure for the journalist’s independent reporting and that is
unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, in another development Hagai Elad, the Israeli head of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, was amongst a group of 13 activists arrested last week for a peaceful assembly in East Jerusalem against
Palestinian home demolitions and expulsions.