Prison message from Ewa Jasiewicz
Alice Coy | 18.08.2004 15:43
Ewa managed to telephone out from the detention centre at Ben Gurion airport, Israel, where she has been held since last Wednesday, when, not accused of any crime and with a press card and commisions from UK journals she was detained as she attempted to enter the country. Her lawyer has been refused access to the "evidence" against her, on security grounds.
"I'm a witness to Israeli war crimes, one being an extra judicial killing of Baha Al Bahesh, a 14 year old boy from Nablus who was shot 2 years ago. He was unarmed, in a non combat, non public order situation. I also witnessed other violations of the Geneva convention such as collective punishment, the demolition of houses and wanton destruction of people's livelihoods."
"I'm being treated not badly. My conditions are 50 million times better than Palestinian prisoners."
"Yesterday I fasted in solidarity with the Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli custody."
"The Israeli left are visionaries, a hopeful, progressive current working with Palestinians and Internationals"
"I feel frustrated, targeted, demonised. They're telling me how to do my job"
"My activism stems from a feeling of social responsibility. Its not enough to write a story about a situation or family, but I also must make change. I'm not just an observer. If I see a breach of human rights or international law I have a responsibility to intervene. I'm not in the journalism industry to make money or a name for myself."
"I don't think anything is black and white. I wanted to investigate the situation in Israel. How the economy is affected by the intifada. What do ordinary Israelis think about the radical movement. I'm here to write about the Israeli left."
"Democracy needs a plurality of opinion, a plurality of positions and voices. Attempts to homogenise public opinion or to constrict political expression sows the seeds of dictatorship. When what can be said or read is decided by and censored by the state and where the dominant narrative becomes that which serves those in power and their vision and their opinions, not only profoundly dillusional and totally anti democratic, but is destructive to any society."
"I'm fueled partly by my curiousity. I want to get to the truth of everything. I've seen a lot from the Palestinian side. I also wanted to hear the progressive, radical Israeli voice, which is normally absent from what is reported. Lots of Jews and Israelis do not want to be associated with the
She wanted to make it clear that her conditions are nothing compared to the brutality, torture and human rights abuses that Palestinian prisoners face.
She sounded upbeat and positive. She said she found it interesting to hear what the guards had to say, and listen to their stories, although it was difficult as she couldn't correct them when she knew they were wrong about incidents.
She was especially keen to stress that the case of her friend Baha, a 14 year old boy from Nablus who was shot dead in front of her, and some other Internationals in Nablus 2 years ago, is still waiting for justice.
***
I'm Jewish, I have Israeli cousins, and I support the right to self determination for Jews, as any other people, but NOT at the expense of other peoples' rights. I have known Ewa for many years, and consider her intelligent, compassionate and courageous. She has spent over a year in total in Palestine and Iraq, where she learnt Arabic.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmond Burke
"I'm being treated not badly. My conditions are 50 million times better than Palestinian prisoners."
"Yesterday I fasted in solidarity with the Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli custody."
"The Israeli left are visionaries, a hopeful, progressive current working with Palestinians and Internationals"
"I feel frustrated, targeted, demonised. They're telling me how to do my job"
"My activism stems from a feeling of social responsibility. Its not enough to write a story about a situation or family, but I also must make change. I'm not just an observer. If I see a breach of human rights or international law I have a responsibility to intervene. I'm not in the journalism industry to make money or a name for myself."
"I don't think anything is black and white. I wanted to investigate the situation in Israel. How the economy is affected by the intifada. What do ordinary Israelis think about the radical movement. I'm here to write about the Israeli left."
"Democracy needs a plurality of opinion, a plurality of positions and voices. Attempts to homogenise public opinion or to constrict political expression sows the seeds of dictatorship. When what can be said or read is decided by and censored by the state and where the dominant narrative becomes that which serves those in power and their vision and their opinions, not only profoundly dillusional and totally anti democratic, but is destructive to any society."
"I'm fueled partly by my curiousity. I want to get to the truth of everything. I've seen a lot from the Palestinian side. I also wanted to hear the progressive, radical Israeli voice, which is normally absent from what is reported. Lots of Jews and Israelis do not want to be associated with the
She wanted to make it clear that her conditions are nothing compared to the brutality, torture and human rights abuses that Palestinian prisoners face.
She sounded upbeat and positive. She said she found it interesting to hear what the guards had to say, and listen to their stories, although it was difficult as she couldn't correct them when she knew they were wrong about incidents.
She was especially keen to stress that the case of her friend Baha, a 14 year old boy from Nablus who was shot dead in front of her, and some other Internationals in Nablus 2 years ago, is still waiting for justice.
***
I'm Jewish, I have Israeli cousins, and I support the right to self determination for Jews, as any other people, but NOT at the expense of other peoples' rights. I have known Ewa for many years, and consider her intelligent, compassionate and courageous. She has spent over a year in total in Palestine and Iraq, where she learnt Arabic.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmond Burke
Alice Coy
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