Tag: Denial of Entry

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 charlotte@ism-london.org
or Roger +44 (0) 7785 792107 info@ism-london.org

Human Rights Worker Refuses Deportation, Put in Solitary Confinement in Tzohar Detention Center, Israel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Andrew Macdonald, a Human Rights Worker from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), is still being held in solitary confinement at the Tzohar Detention Center in Israel. Even though he has been threatened by the Prison Commander, he maintains that “deporting people from Palestine is a matter for Palestinians to decide, not for Israelis.”

“You are making me nervous – I have not been nervous for 3 years. But I can make you nervous too. You are playing games with me, but I can play games with you to.” These were the words of the Prison Commander Yuvral just before he threatened to take Andrews cell phone away from him. This is not the first time Andrew has been threatened; the Israeli Authorities have repeatedly used intimidation to try to pressure him to leave the country. Previously, a police officer from the Special Operations Unit threatened to drug him if he did not comply.

Before his arrest, Andrew worked in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, where ISM and the Tel Rumeida Project provides an international presence to support the daily Palestinian non-violent struggle against attacks from Hebron’s violent settler community. During the last 3 months, The IDF and the Police in the area have repeatedly been trying to get the Human Rights Workers out of Tel Rumeida, by arresting them without reason, issuing false Closed Military Zone Orders and trying to break in to their apartment without a warrant.

Andrew Macdonald has been in custody for 10 days since his arrest on 24th of November 2005, and in solitary confinement for 3 days since his arrival to Tzohar Detention Center this Thursday at 21:30. He is kept in a 2×2 meter cell and is not allowed to see other prisoners. Last night the prison staff kept the light in his cell on until 2 AM, depriving him of his sleep.

ISM Media Office +972 2 297 1824 www.palsolidarity.org
Tel Rumeida Project +972 54 557 3154 www.telrumeidaproject.org

Human Rights Worker refuses deportation; Threatened by Police Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

At 01:15 on Thursday morning, Andrew Macdonald, a Human Rights Worker from the ISM, refused deportation from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. The refusal is a protest against the State of Israel’s policy of deporting Human Rights Workers from the Occupied Territories of Palestine.

After the refusal, a police officer from the Special Operations Unit, threatened Andrew, saying that they were going to drug him and use handcuffs and leg shackles to force him on the next available plane. They also threatened to put him in jail for two months if he would not comply. Currently, Andrew is being held at the Tzohar Detention Center near the Rafah crossing to Gaza.

The arrest took place last Thursday at 15:00 in Tel Rumeida, Hebron. Andrew had just finished escorting Palestinian children to school. ISM together with the Tel Rumeida Project provides an international presence in Tel Rumeida that supports the daily Palestinian non-violent struggle against attacks from Hebron’s violent settler community.

Andrew Macdonald’s own comment is: “Something very odd is happening here. In order to eject people from Israel, they are snatching people out of Palestine, and forcing them into Israel. It’s not for Israelis to decide who can stay in Palestine, it’s for Palestinians to decide.”

For more details:

ISM Media Office +972 2 297 1824
Tel Rumeida Project www.telrumeidaproject.org

Haaretz: Israel to bar pro-Palestinian activists from entering country

By Amos Harel and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies

Israel will from now on bar pro-Palestinian activists from entering the country and will try to expel at least some of the dozens of activists who are already here, according a new plan drafted by the Israel Defense Forces and the foreign and defense ministries.

Most of the activists, who come from Europe, Canada and the United States, belong to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Their goal is to act as “human shields” for Palestinian individuals and houses during IDF incursions into Palestinian towns, and they have often been involved in confrontations with IDF soldiers. They also try to help Palestinians pass through IDF roadblocks.

Some two months ago, an American ISM activist, Rachel Corrie, was run over and killed by an IDF bulldozer in Gaza. Her colleagues accused the bulldozer driver of having run her over deliberately. The IDF denies the accusation and decided not to indict the driver. In two other recent cases, international activists have been seriously injured by IDF gunfire during confrontations in the territories.

Israel Radio on Friday quoted British news agencies as saying that the two men involved in the suicide bombing at Mike’s Place in Tel Aviv late Tuesday night had entered Israel earlier in the day in a cab that passed through the Erez Crossing. The two had taken part in actions carried out by peace activists in the Gaza Strip. [Note: Read the ISM response to this issue in the FAQ.]

In the first sign of the new crackdown, a member of ISM was detained by Israeli troops in the southern Gaza refugee camp Rafah on Thursday.

Military sources said the woman activist was sleeping in a house suspected of concealing one of the tunnels used by militants to smuggle arms from nearby Egypt, and her case was being handled by the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment and the ISM said it would release a statement later in the day on the new Israeli measures.

IDF accuses ‘riot inciters’

The IDF charges that many of the self-proclaimed peace activists are “provocateurs” and “riot inciters” who deliberately interfere with the IDF’s work, with the goal of blackening Israel’s image. Army sources noted that in one case, they discovered a wanted terrorist being hidden by ISM activists in Jenin. The sources said the activists received training overseas in how to deceive border control officials at Ben-Gurion International Airport in order to be allowed into the country.

Furthermore, both the army and the Foreign Ministry fear that additional foreign citizens might be killed or wounded by the IDF if the ISM’s activities are allowed to continue.

Wednesday’s bombing in Tel Aviv, which was committed by two men who entered Israel on British passports, added a new reason to the authorities’ desire to clamp down on the foreign activists – fear that other terrorists from overseas might enter the country under the guise of peace activists.

IDF and Foreign Ministry officials held another meeting on the subject this week and decided to instruct border control officials at Ben-Gurion and the land crossings with Egypt and Jordan to bar foreign activists from entering the country. In addition, IDF officers who encounter such activists in closed military areas will be ordered to arrest them, after which they will be deported.

On Thursday, the IDF arrested a foreign activist during its search for arms smuggling tunnels in the Gazan town of Rafah. Army sources said the woman was inside a house that was slated for demolition. The woman was later released and allowed to remain in the country, though she was barred from returning to Gaza.