Latest news 9pm: lawyer says Israeli authorities will try to
deport the 3 early tomorrow morning before she has a chance to file a court request to freeze the deportation and pursue the
matter in court. Their phones seem to have been taken away and they are incommunicado.
deport the 3 early tomorrow morning before she has a chance to file a court request to freeze the deportation and pursue the
matter in court. Their phones seem to have been taken away and they are incommunicado.
Press release: 20th December 2005
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 {a t} ism-london.org
or Roger +44 (0) 7785 792107 info {a t} ism-london.org
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 {a t} ism-london.org
or Roger +44 (0) 7785 792107 info {a t} ism-london.org
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Misreported?
21.12.2005 15:33
But instead what I read is that they were blocked from entering Israel proper. And reporting that as if they had a RIGHT to enter Israel for whatever purpose.
OK -- they are entitled to a belief that we should have a right to enter whatever country we desire, a belief in "no borders". But in that case, why make a fuss about ISRAEL in that regard? No need to leave home to protest countries insisting on an absolute right to deny entry to whomever is classified "non grata" for whatever reason. One is rather hard pressed to think of any countries that do not insist on that right.
Might I humbly suggest that it would be easier to make the objection clearer to the Israelis by submitting a list of countries which allow "free entry" and demanding that Israel follow the same policy.
Mike
e-mail:
stepbystpefarm mtdata.com
Securiry - this could be the answer
21.12.2005 16:38
"Gunmen seize Bethlehem City Hall"
sceptic
erm, Mike
21.12.2005 17:54
People get internally blocked every hour every day by the Israeli army, inside the West Bank, so it wouldn't be any great shakes to report, though it means people dying, miscarrying, losing jobs, studies etc.
Yes some other countries try to stop people entering for various reasons, but they are not trying to stop them entering another country, as is the case here, they give reasons, and it's subject to legal challenge. The only way in this case to challenge it legally is to physically resist being put back on a plane. People stopped by Israel at various borders are not given the reason why they are stopped, nor are they given the chance to appeal it. In this case, all 5 said they were going to do the same things in the same places, but there was selective treatment.
Thank you for your humble suggestion, but Israel, like most states, does not change policy by demanding they follow suit, or whatever.
Michael
Red Herring
22.12.2005 03:35
The Zionists want the two sides as divided as they can be.
Don't Let Them Limit The Debate