"Celebrating Non-violence Conference" in Bethlehem. Israeli authorities

[Tom Joad]

harass and detain international attendees.

From http://www.celebratingnv.org
Holy Land Trust and Nonviolence International invite you to join global activists and scholars for an historic international nonviolence conference titled celebrating Nonviolent Resistance.
The purpose of the conference is to " bring together members of the global nonviolent community to discuss the past, present and future of nonviolence." and to "learn first hand about nonviolent activism in Palestine." For those who have been paying attention to what is happening in Palestine, there really is plenty of non-violent activism occurring, even in the face of brutal suppression of the Israeli authorities.

The Israeli authorities response to this conference? More brutal suppression.

An Italian peace activist was hospitalized yesterday after refusing to be deported from Israel. Vittorio Arrigoni, 34, was injured yesterday evening when Israeli authorities tried to deport by force him and two other detained UK residents, according to Israeli lawyer Gaby Lasky.

He was returned today to the detention centre at Tel Aviv airport. The three are being held after they were refused admission to Israel to attend a peace conference in Bethlehem. They now face the prospect of Christmas in an Israeli jail.

The three are experienced peace campaigners who were on their way to the "Celebrating Non-Violence"
conference that starts on 27 December in Bethlehem. But when they tried to pass through Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on December 20, when the authorities detained them.

Only quick legal action by an Israeli lawyer prevented the three from being forcibly deported Thursday morning. They must now await the outcome of an appeal hearing, which will not take place until Christmas Day at the earliest.

All three have worked previously as international observers in the Palestinian territories. All are members of Access for Peace in the Middle East, a pressure group that intends to challenge the
criminalization 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
fighting deportation: "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."

Many prominent peace campaigners support Access for Peace in the Middle East including Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Nonviolence International, Clare Short, George Monbiot, Angie Zelter, Jeremy Hardy and European Jews for a Just Peace.
*******
Note: I was honored to have worked with Robin in the West Bank, observing the senseless daily humiliation of Palestinians in their daily life by the occupation army. He is fine person, and i could not imagine why any country would not welcome him. Unless it had something to hide.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

[Violet_Crumble]

1. Heh, and some people wonder why there's no Palestinian version of Gandhi

n/t

[Wordie]

2. Some additional background to this article,

published also on the Bristol-ISM site, which includes the blogs of actual observers in Palestine.
http://www.bristol-ism.blog.co.uk/index.php/bristol-ism/2005/12/21/de_criminalize_peace_and_human_rights_wo~404836

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.