Bad News from Beit Surik

1. Flo's report


On the 3rd of March 2005, I left my home in the United States for
Israel.

This was my third trip of this kind, in order to work on the ground
in Occupied Palestine, in solidarity with Palestinians and their
allies opposing the Israeli Occupation of Palestine.

I was expecting trouble upon arriving at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel
Aviv, as I had been forcibly expelled by the Israeli Authorities one
year before due to this same work against the occupation.

My expulsion at that time was based on false charges brought against
me by the Israeli Ministry of Interior stating that I had resided
illegally in Israel.

When I arrived to Ben Gurion on the 4th of March, I was pulled aside
at passport control, as I had expected.

I was taken to a security room where my bags were searched for over
an hour. The entirety of my belongings was gone through, including
my toothpaste, books, and food.

After the search was over, I expected to be taken to an officer of
the Shin Bet
(Intelligence Agency) for an interrogation. I was looking forward to
this interrogation, as I was planning to be open and upfront about
my beliefs and opposition to the occupation, and expecting to have
to fight their order to expel me based on that honesty.

To my surprise, I was never taken to the Shin Bet. After my
belongings were searched I was told by an agent of some sort that I
was not allowed into Israel because I had been there one year before
without a visa.

I was then handed over to an immigration policeman and taken to the
Ben Gurion Detention Center. This center is for individuals awaiting
expulsion from Israel. I was put in a room with two Swedish women
who were also being denied entry into Israel and were awaiting a
flight out.

I was told by the head policeman at this facility that I would be
put on an airplane at 5am the next morning. I told him that I had a
lawyer, was fighting being denied entry and refused to willingly get
on the airplane.

For hours, every time this officer would come near my cell he would
repeat to me that I would be put on a plane at 5am the next
morning. Every time he told me this, I would repeat to him that I
would not get on that airplane.

At 4am the next morning, this same officer plus one, came to my cell
and told me to get ready for my flight. Once again, I told them I
would not be entering that flight and that I was only trying to save
them time and energy instead of them having to drag me and all my
luggage to the airport and back.
Every time I reiterated that I would not be taking the flight, the
officer became increasingly aggressive with me, yelling and
threatening physical force. Being scared of the officers physically
hurting me, and realizing that resisting them taking me to the plane
would probably not work, I told them that I would go with them, but
I would not take the flight.

In an immigration police van, I was taken to the airplane, escorted
by two immigration officers up an external staircase and into the
passenger entryway of the plane. My ticket and passport was handed
to the flight attendant at the door, who seemed to be expecting my
arrival. I immediately approached her and told her, in front of the
passengers entering the plane, that I was being put on this flight
against my will and would not cooperate with the rules if they kept
me on the flight.

After moving into a quieter corner, the flight attendant asked me to
repeat myself, and questioned what kind of trouble I would cause if
I was kept on the flight. I told her that I would not sit in my
seat, would not turn off my cell phone, and that I would talk loudly
throughout the aisles.

She seemed taken aback and went to speak with the head flight
attendant, who then came to hear my story. I repeated to him what I
had told the first attendant and was told to wait while they spoke
with the police who were waiting outside to ensure that I was on the
flight when it took off.

During this time, I was shaking considerably as I was scared to not
be refused by the flight crew. One of the other attendants seemed to
notice my anxiety and gave me a glass of lemonade to sip.

I was called to where the head attendant and the immigration
officers were talking and told by one of the officers that I had two
choices; willingly go on this flight, or be put on a flight at 9pm
that night in handcuffs and shackles with an armed guard sitting
next to me. I told him that I would not be getting on this flight
willingly. He repeated again that I had two choices, I again
repeated that I would not willingly get on the flight.

The officers became angry with me at that point and began to tell me
that I was putting myself in a bad position. They handcuffed me,
shackled my feet and took me back to the detention center.

At the detention center, I was put into solitary confinement. It was
dark outside, yet the lights in my cell were turned on and not shut
off until midday. Beginning that morning, I was treated quite
aggressively by the guards.

I was not allowed to call my lawyer at any point in time, I was not
given food for a twenty hour period, the lights in my cell were only
turned on starting at 2am, and every time one of the guards passed
my cell, they kicked and pounded at my door.

I was told that I was to be taken to a plane at 4pm that day and
there was no way I could refuse, that they would use as much force
as necessary to get me on the flight.

I spent six hours in fear of that impending flight, not sure if I
had the energy to withstand another attempt on their part to send me
off, but knowing that I was not interested in leaving.

One hour before my threatened flight, my lawyers were able to get a
freeze on me being kicked out without first seeing a judge. I was
relieved that at least for a day or two, I would not have to worry
so much about being stuck on a plane, although the immigration
police quite often put people on planes while they are awaiting
court dates.

I still was not allowed phone calls to my lawyers, fed nor had
lights except after 2am.

I had been expecting a court date either Sunday or Monday, so was
not surprised when the guard came and told me to get ready to leave.
He affirmed that we were going to court when I asked him, but then
told me to gather my bags. I became confused and asked him why I
would take my bags to court, but he said we were not going to court,
we were going to the airport. Immediately, I began to refuse,
thinking that we were heading to another airplane. He told me that I
had won, I was to get a visa and be allowed into Israel.

I was shocked. At first I didn't believe the officer and though he
was only trying to trick me, but I got in the van with him. We went
to the airport, and after thirty minutes, I had a visa and was
sitting in a car to Jerusalem.

My lawyers were able to get me in on a loophole that the Israeli
authorities created for themselves. Upon my expulsion last year, the
Ministry of Interior signed an agreement with my lawyer that I would
be allowed back into Israel as long as they didn't find new evidence
of me being a security threat.

Over 130 internationals that work with the ISM and other
international peace groups that work against the occupation have
been black listed by the government of Israel for their peace work.

This tactic on the part of the Israeli government attempts to
criminalize activists that do not agree with their policies in order
to eliminate outside witnesses whom bring international attention to
the daily atrocities created by the violent military occupation of
Palestine.

This time around, I have been able to beat the system. Next time, I
might not be as lucky as so many other internationals haven't been,
and as so many thousands of Palestinians aren't every day.



*******************


2. Beit Surik update

The military court decided yesterday to detain the mayor of Beit
Surik until the end of the proceedings against him despite protest
from his Israeli neighbors in Mevaseret Zion.

Muhhamad Kandil was a key player in initiating a joint petition on
behalf of members from both communities to The Israeli Supreme court
which resulted in an unprecedented ruling to revise the route of
Israel's separation wall.

According to Ha'aretz newspaper the deputy head of the Mevasseret
Zion Local Council and a Likud member, Arieh Shamam, declared in an
affidavit to the military court that Kandil contributes to the good
neighborly relations between the two communities.

Mevasseret resident Shai Dror told the court that Kandil had ensured
that the joint activities against the route of the fence last year
had
not deteriorated into violent protests.

When work on the wall on Beit Surik land restarted a week ago.
Beit Surik residents found that it extended into areas beyond the
criteria set by the Supreme Court and that 1000 Dinam of Beit Surik
land was to be lost behind the wall.

When Villagers gathered on their land in an attempt to protect it
from being leveled by Israeli bulldozers Mayor Kandil approached the
Israeli soldiers to deescalate the situation.

Ha'aretz reported that Kandil thought that he was being escorted by
the soldiers in order to speak with the contractors only to discover
he had been arrested.

Kandil is being accused of attacking Israeli border Policeman
Shachar yizchaki much to the disbelief of all who know him including
Mevasseret residents who provided character references supporting
him.

Yizchaki, an officer in the Border Police, who claims that the mayor
attacked him, is well known for his methods of dealing with
protesters.

On the day of Kandil's arrest his men were filmed stoning the
Palestinian demonstrators.

On April the 15th During a demonstration against the wall in Biddu
Yizchaki was photographed handcuffing a twelve year old child to the
windshield of his Jeep and using him as a human shield against
stones for several hours. When Rabbi Arik Asherman, Director of
Rabbis from Human Rights, tried to intervene he was also forced to
stand before the military jeep and was assaulted by Yatzchaki. Rabbi
Asherman has filed a complaint against Yizchaki.

Also yesterday, Attorney Billal Mahfouz agreed to a Plea bargain on
behalf of Minors, Muntaser Najib Al Jamal 12, Ahmad Suleiman Sheikh
15,
and Amjad Ghazi Ahmad 16, in which Muntaser was released and Ahmad
and Amjad were each sentenced to three months detention.

In the process of their arrest the three were severally beaten.
During their interrogation they signed documents in Hebrew, the
contents of which they were unaware, under the threat that if they
didn't they would be killed.

Their attorney plans on filing a complaint. According to the minors
and
eyewitnesses, the three were severely beaten by the undercover
border policemen while being taken to the detention center.

We Thank all those that responded to our action alert on their
behalf.

******************

3.Hebron Report

Fallowing the shooting of two Israeli border police in the old city
of Hebron this morning, Israeli soldiers began house to house
searches, kicking open doors of homes throughout in Hebron's old
city.

Curfew was declared from the Ibrahimi Mosque loudspeakers at 4pm
after men of all ages had been rounded up and taken from their homes
to a holding area in a small park near the Ibrahimi Mosque. People
entering the old city were detained at checkpoints throughout the
old city and taken in groups of 5-10 men to the holding area. ISM
activists and members of the Christian Peacemaker Team are
patrolling the old city and have brought water and blankets to the
60-70 men being held there.

The men have been interrogated and had their fingerprints and
handprints taken before being released. Some men reported to the
internationals in the area that they were not fed and were forced to
stand for long hours during their detention. The military commander
in the area has said that the curfew will be lifted only when the
gunman is found.

In the South Hebron hills, ISM volunteers have been staying in the
village of Qawawis. ISM will maintain a presence there while the
seven families reestablish themselves in the area after having been
evicted by the Israeli military months ago. The people of Qawawis
have suffered from various settler attacks on their livestock and
homes and asked for an international presence after they received an
order from the Israeli government last week saying that they can
return to their homes.

******************

4. 4. Bil'in marches again

Tomorrow morning, Palestinians from the village of Bil'in, located
west of Ramallah, will attempt to halt the construction of Israel's
Apartheid wall on their land.

They will be supported by Israeli and international activists.

The demonstration will begin at 9:00am at the mosque in Bil'in.

The route of the wall in the Bil'in area is being determined by
blueprints for a new Israeli settlement, M'nura, which is being
built in the area.
M'nura will be an extension of the Kiryat Sefer settlement, both are
illegal under international law.