19 November 2008 - Three human rights activists travelling with a group of Palestinian fishermen remain in custody in Israel today after they were taken illegally from fishing boats by the Israeli Navy on Tuesday.

Andrew Muncie from Scotland, Italian Vittorio Arrigoni, and American Darlene Wallach, all working with International Solidarity Movement (ISM), were surrounded by the Israeli Navy and arrested alongside 15 Palestinian fishermen seven miles off the coast of Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip.

Since their arrival on the first voyage of Free Gaza in August, the ISM volunteers have been accompanying Palestinian fishermen who are regularly attacked by Israeli Navy vessels from as little as 3km from shore. They have filmed Israeli forces using live ammunition, shells and water cannons against unarmed fishermen (1).

Green Party MEP Dr Caroline Lucas said: “Despite worldwide condemnation, Israel persists in flouting international human rights law through its hugely damaging blockade of Gaza and the constant military attacks on the Palestinian people.

“That our own Foreign Secretary is agreeing with other European leaders to upgrade the EU’s preferential Association Agreement on trade with Israel while Israel continues to abuse Palestinian human rights is intolerable. Israel must release the three human rights campaigners immediately and stop harassing and detaining Palestinian fishermen who have every right to fish for food off the Gazan coast.”

Baroness Jenny Tonge and the Rt Hon Clare Short MP both travelled on the Free Gaza boat trip in August and today sent messages of support to the campaigners and to the Palestinians in Gaza.

Baroness Tonge said: "The time has come for the international community, and especially the European Union to take action against Israel's consistent breaking of international law. The EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended until Israel complies with this law.

“It was only last week that I personally met with the fishermen whose boats are illegally water-cannoned and fired upon by Israeli gunboats as they peacefully fish in Gaza waters. The human rights observers who were taken unlawfully by Israel should be released immediately."

Rt Hon Clare Short MP commented: " If there is to be any hope of peace in the Middle East, international law must be upheld. This means that the siege of Gaza must be lifted and the constant attacks by the Israeli navy on Gazan fishermen halted.

“Those who have been arrested must be released and the UK must insist that these illegal attacks on Gazans, fishing peacefully within their own waters, must cease."

The three international Human Rights Observers (HROs) have now been moved to Maasiyahu prison in Israel and continue to face deportation, which they had pledged to resist until the Palestinian fishermen were released. Mr Muncie had begun a hunger strike in protest at the treatment of the fishermen by the Israeli authorities (2).

News of the arrests comes as UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expressed fears for the Palestinians suffering the severe economic consequences of the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip (3).

ENDS

Notes to Editors

(1)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZBwcPcAeFA
(2)  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7735876.stm
(3)  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7737243.stm

For more information on the work of Dr Lucas MEP, please contact Melissa Freeman on 0207 407 9935 / 07950 382149 or  carolinepress@greenmeps.org.uk