ISM Reports: Israel to Deport Eight International Peace Activists. Appeal Denied

Israel to Deport Eight International Peace Activists

Today Tel Aviv District Court Judge Nissim Yeshaya upheld the
deportation orders of eight International Peace activists who were
working with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Of the
eight activists, Tobias Karlsson (SWEDEN), Tarek Loubani (CANADA),
Fredrick Lind (DENMARK), Bill Capowski (USA), Daniel Knutsson
(SWEDEN), Alex Perry (UK), Saul Reid (UK) and Thomas Pellas (FRANCE)
four were arrested on July 9 while at a camp on Palestinian land in
the village of Arrabony near Jenin slated to be confiscated by Israel
for the building of the separation wall, and four on July 10 while
helping to remove roadblocks near the city of Nablus calling
attention to the restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement
under the occupation. They were subsequently issued deportation
orders by the Ministry of the Interior. The Israeli military has
claimed that the ISM and all peace activists are a security threat
and the lawyer for the state used this as the argument for why the
activists should be deported. No evidence as to the illegality of
the defendants' actions was presented. Signed affidavits that the
presence and work of ISM is important were submitted by prominent
Israeli organizations and individuals such as Bat Shalom, MK Yossi
Sarid and several Israeli professors. The judge sided with the state
lawyers saying that under Israeli law the Ministry of the Interior
has unlimited power to deport and revoke visas of internationals.

The policy of punishing international peace activists without any
evidence other than labeling them a security threat is an expansion
of Israel's policy of using administrative detention to punish
Palestinians the military labels a security threat. Currently there
are over 1,000 Palestinians being held in administrative detention
after having secret evidence used against them. Administrative
detention is an indefinitely renewable six months of captivity. Many
Palestinians have now been held in detention for years without any
charge or knowledge of when they might be released.

After the ruling, a lawyer for the eight defendants requested a one-
week stay on the deportations to allow time to file an appeal. The
request was denied. Two Israeli citizens were also arrested with one
of the groups of activists. Both were released without charge. Some
of the activists reported being kicked and otherwise abused while
interrogated after the arrests and at least one was severely beaten
after they stopped eating in protest two days ago.

For a picture of the eight in court please see our website:
 http://www.palsolidarity.org

For more information please contact:
Huwaida: +972-67-473308
ISM Media Office: +972-2-2774602