Israel stages night-time Ramallah raid to arrest an international solidarity act

Rose | 11.01.2010 21:23 | Palestine | Repression | World

A raid was conducted in Ramallah’s city centre tonight to apprehend Eva Nováková, a Czech citizen, who took on the role of the International Solidarity Movement’s media coordinator three weeks ago.

Israeli soldiers raided the Ramallah home of Eva Nováková tonight at 3 am near the Manara square. The operation to apprehend Nováková, the ISM’s new media coordinator since three weeks ago, was carried out by a force of both soldiers and members of the “Oz” immigration police unit. During the raid, the army occupied a number of rooftops at a location adjacent to the Palestinian Police Ramallah headquarters. She is currently being held in Givon detention center awaiting deportation to the Czech Republic.

This recent military raid into Palestinian-controlled Area A comes amidst Palestinian discontent over continued incursions and arrests. Nováková’s Attoreny Omer Shatz stated: “The Israeli immigration police work under the authority of the Israeli ministry of the interior, and as such have no jurisdiction in the Occupied Palestinian territories. This arrest is part of the continued and illegal use of the immigration police against activists, for political purposes”

This raid follows an extensive arrest wave targeting grassroots activists and oragnizers throughout the West Bank. Such raids have been conducted in the villages of Bil’in – where 32 residents have been arrested in the past six month, Ni’ilin – where 94 residents have been arrested in the past 18 months, the cities of Nablus and Ramallah and East Jerusalem. The past three weeks have seen raids on ex-ISM bases in both Bil’in and Ni’lin also.

Among those arrested in this recent campaign are five members of the Bil’in Popular Committee have been arrested in suspicion of incitement, including Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who has already been held in detention for almost six months and Bil’in’s Popular Committee coordinator, Abdallah Abu Rahmah.

Prominent Nablus grassroots activists, Wael al-Faqeeh (Nablus) as well as Jamal Juma (East Jerusalem) and Mohammed Othman (Jayyous) of the Stop the Wall NGO, involved in anti-Wall and boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigning have also been arrested recently. All three are currently being held on secret evidence and with no charges brought against them.

http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10555

Rose

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f**king israel

12.01.2010 10:11

The disgusting behavour of the Israeli state never ceases to anger me (yet again).
It really is a New-Nazi State, complete with it's own Berlin Wall-style segregation, South African-style sectarianism of cultures and fascist Germany-style control and extermination of the populace of Palestine.

Fran

How it works

12.01.2010 13:25

" The activist was expelled for "breaching the rules of her stay," the spokesman for the Czech Republic's Foreign Ministry, Milan Repka, said. He said that Novakova overstayed her visa.

Novakova's lawyer, Omer Shatz, called the Israeli action against his client politically-motivated."

The BEST sort of propoganda is when telling the "truth" and I suspect in this case both sides telling the "truth" as they define it.

Notice it isn't just the Israelis saying that she was in (technical?) violation of her visa but her own government confirming that. Visas of various types often have conditions attached to them, not just expiration dates. For example, she just took on a job and if a PAID job, did her visa technically allow that?

On the other hand, her lawyer and the rest of the ISM folks almost certainly correct "action was politically motivated". Israel often ignores all sorts of visa violations, doesn't necessarily hunt down those overstaying or a bit of working while deciding if they want to stay permanently. Selective enforcement? (but no, they don't JUST enforce against pro-Palestinian activists -- other sorts they consider undesirable get kicked out too). Of course the "politically motivated" might be on both sides. Was a visa extension applied for and refused or was it being publicly NOT apllied for under an argument "you aren't a legitimate country; I don't need a visa to be here". That would be bound to draw enforcement.

MDN

Not How It Works In Lawful Societies

12.01.2010 20:17

"both sides telling the "truth" as they define it"...

MDN your comment may seem clever, but misses the whole point.
Laws and international agreements are not made so that each party can "define it" as they "like it".

Eva Nováková was arrested by the Israelis in Ramallah. Ramallah is located in a region defined as "REGION A" by the Oslo Accords - which Israel signed and ratified in 1993. These accords give the Palestinian Authority full administrative control over REGION A, and the neither the Israeli Immigration Department nor Israel's Police nor Military have any juristriction over Ramallah and its population.

Israel, as so often in the past, regularly violates international law as well as its own national laws when it comes to pushing forward its policy its racist policies against the Palestinians including the ethnic-cleansing the occupied territories.

THAT is what is happening before our very eyes. This is not a game of spin.

ninetto

israel's control

13.01.2010 22:30

under oslo area a is irrelevant. regardless of what control the pa has over area a, israel maintains total control over all goods and persons who may enter the area. ergo, should they wish to remove someone, they will claim they have the right to do so. just shows how meaningless the term administrative control is as it means nothing. israel never intended to give palestinians any form of autonomy or control over any part of the west bank or gaza. picking up and deporting people who are not "residents" has been going on for years.

bandora etrog