Top ISM leader denied entry into Israel

[Tom Joad]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1149572628411&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

An International Solidarity Movement activist was denied entry into Israel on Sunday night, according to the organization's spokeswoman and the Ministry of Interior.

Paul Larudee, who runs ISM activities in the Northern Californian region, is currently being detained at Ben-Gurion Airport said his lawyer Gabi Lasky.
____________________________________
Feel free to read this foolish J Post article on your own. We take issue with how they describe ISM's work as "anti-Israel" rather than for Palestinian human rights. ISM actually works with Palestinians, Israelis, and other internationals in the quest for a just peace.
Another factual error in the article is that it says that Larudee was once "found in the bed of a suicide bomber". He was never "found" by anyone. The fact is that internationals stayed in these homes to prevent them from being demolished, harming a family which had nothing to do with the act, which is a form of collective punishment. It is in no way an endorsement of the practice. Not only that, these home demolitions also made the matter worse, a fact conceded by the Israeli authorities. That practice has been stopped. (home demolitions continue, but for other stated reasons) Paul wrote about the experience of staying at such a home, but did not endorse any violence against civilians, such acts are opposed by ISM.

I think what really makes Israel afraid of this man is not potential violence, not his piano tuning gear, but his video camera, and the potential to tell the story of Palestinian oppression to people in the United States. Israel also has a dreadful fear of nonviolence, and the potential for such a movement.

Israel may succeed here in denying Palestinians the presence of one more international friend. It is part of the campaign to isolate Palestinians from the world. As Israel continues to force Palestinians to herd them into small Bantustans in the West Bank and Gaza, while Israel expends its illegal settlements.

See this statement from Amnesty International & Others
International Rights Groups Decry Increased Harassment of Monitors
http://norcalism.org/israeliharassment.htm
Amnesty International, the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Human Rights (EMNHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) are deeply concerned about the increase of Israeli restrictions against human rights and humanitarian workers.

On May 21, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom said that "most human rights offices in the West Bank and Gaza strip provide shelter for Palestinian terrorists."

This comment has no basis in fact and constitutes a further threat to the work of independent human rights organizations and workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "We fear that such unsupported allegations are intended to intimidate local and international human rights defenders, and to prevent them from carrying out their daily work," the organizations said.

Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have long suffered crippling restrictions on freedom of movement. Researchers carry out their work under circumstances of considerable personal danger, and many have suffered intimidation and harassment by the Israeli authorities and army while carrying out their work.
More... http://norcalism.org/israeliharassment.htm

________________________________________________________
Monday, June 5, 2006

Israel Tunes Out: Denies entrance to piano tuner from California
ISM MEDIA GROUP - "This is something small I can do to make life under occupation just a little more bearable for people, so I do it."

Paul Larudee, Ph.D, a 60-year-old piano tuner from El Cerrito, California travels with the tools of his trade and had twenty piano-tuning engagements scheduled around the occupied West Bank.

However, when he got off the plane in Tel Aviv Sunday night, Israeli authorities pulled him from the line, interrogated him about his political beliefs, not about his ability to tune pianos, and took him to an immigration detention center at Ben Gurion Airport. They intend to put him back on a plane today.

Dr. Larudee has visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories four times and has lived in the region. He has a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University. Although never arrested or detained in the past, Israeli authorities have now decided to deport him based on his outspoken support for the work of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and the Palestinians' right to nonviolently resist occupation.

Israeli attorney Gabi Lasky stated: "The policy of blacklisting a nonviolent peace activist as persona-non-grata, then denying them access to the Occupied Territories because of their nonviolent activities raises questions regarding Israel's intentions to resolve the conflict through dialogue and nonviolent means".

While airport officials routinely forbid entry to anyone involved with ISM, such denials run counter to Israeli policy. The Ministry of the Interior openly states that it does not seek to stop those involved with ISM from entering the country.

Dr. Larudee will refuse to get on a plane to be deported against his will, while attorney Lasky is appealing the deportation order on his behalf. His family and friends are concerned for his health while held in detention, since he is diabetic and has specific dietary and medical needs.

The International Solidarity Movement calls on Israel's Department of the Interior to honor its stated policies and not discriminate against peaceful individuals such as Mr. Larudee on the basis of their beliefs.

[mike_c]

1. "...calls on Israel not to discriminate..."

Pigs will fly out of my butt first. Just sayin'.

[Tom Joad]

2. Well, they have deported Jewish peace activist too.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Imagine the outcry if the US did it...

If the US started grilling foreigners entering the US on their political views and deported them if they opposed the war in Iraq there'd be an uproar and people would quite rightly point out that deporting people based on their political views isn't a symptom of a healthy democracy....

[Jim Sagle]

3. ISM is a gang of rowdies. Keep 'em out.

:beer:

[pelsar]

4. perhaps GAZA?

Israel has quite a few human rights groups working in the westbank, both local, and international....i believe there is real shortage in Gaza:


heres an organization that could use some help:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/index.htm
________

the palestenians in gaza under palestenain rule also have rights (entry via Rafah) or doesnt Gaza under the palestenians interest the ISM anymore?

[Jim Sagle]

5. You're so cynical....

;)

[Tom Joad]

6. Still, i don't know what Israel is so afraid of.

They seem really camera shy. A man comes with a cell phone and a camera, the feel they need to deport him. Is it because they have something to hide?

[pelsar]

7. saving ISM lives....

the ISM doesn't understand the difference between civil disobedience in a country at peace and a military operation in a low level conflict.

attempting to stop military missions is a losing proposition if your not armed and willing to kill and be killed. Wearing colored vests doesn't stop bullets.....

but the funniest is the "non violence" aspect...as they thrown rocks and stones......they should try that in Berkley, stand on a street corner and throw rocks and stones at people, and when arrested keep on insisting that they're just protesting 'non violently"......and keep on insisting that as the judge sends them in for a psych test....

but whats wrong with going to Gaza?....doesnt "citizen gaza" have a right to walk down the street without being targeted by other militias?....wheres the outrage ISM?

[Violet_Crumble]

8. But haven't you always said the Palestinians should do nonviolent protest?

attempting to stop military missions is a losing proposition if your not armed and willing to kill and be killed. Wearing colored vests doesn't stop bullets.....

Let me get this straight. Now yr saying that non-violent resistance is bound for failure as they should be armed and ready to kill and be killed?

As for wearing coloured vests - that's done in order to identify themselves. Are you really saying that the IDF just shoots regardless of who or what is in their way?

Actually, the non-violent protests that you portray as violent have only turned violent after Israel does such 'non-violent' things such as firing tear-gas and beating protesters....

Violet...

[pelsar]

10. non violent is fine....

the "non violent" protest follows a choreographic order:.....this is the real order more or less (not what you wrote)

protestestors with int (ISM) approach the fence, try to tear down parts, soldiers approach.....the intl move to the side, the palestenaisn start throwing rocks...IDF responds (wondering if this time there will be AK-47 within the protestors as it was in the past....)

That is NOT NON violent, that is a violent

ISM is part and parcel of that violence....


and there is a difference between a protest of the govt action vs attempting to stop an IDF mission....

as to wearing colored vests...some people think there bullet proof....and believe that in all situations it will protect them.....doesnt work that way in real life.....smoke, pressures, situations, wrong decisions...all have affects on a soldiers decision....one has to be careful and understand the risks...thats all

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Yes, why can't they be more like the non-violent IDF!!

protestestors with int (ISM) approach the fence, try to tear down parts, soldiers approach.....the intl move to the side, the palestenaisn start throwing rocks...IDF responds (wondering if this time there will be AK-47 within the protestors as it was in the past....)

'Soldiers approach' is short-hand for:

'The Israeli soldiers started hitting people with clubs.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x125573

and

'According to the IDF, the protesters violated a military order declaring the area a closed military zone.' That one was justification for shooting someone in the head with a rubber bullet...

and

'The protesters maintain that the demonstration became violent after police shoved them and threw shock grenades at them.'

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/717897.html

Of course throwing stones totally justifies shooting at protesters. Who cares about piddly things like regulations?

'Almost instantly there is the crack of rubber bullets fired by the policemen. Despite regulations requiring a minimum 40-metre range, the first are fired directly at the protesters.'

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article485025.ece

[pelsar]

12. the IDF IS violent...

thats what its all about....

and the excuse:
Of course throwing stones totally justifies shooting at protesters......in fact it does.

those "stone" and rocks are also thrown via slingshots which infact cause bodily harm. I doubt you've ever been standing still while rocks and stones are being thrown at you....

and since the IDF is designed to be violent, its not so smart to go up against them in a violent way.....

___________________________________
along those same lines.....there is good that can be done, but it means being non violent:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0605/S00317.htm

Later in the day I was down on Shuhada street with another ISMer and settler children began throwing rocks at us again. The soldiers made a halfhearted attempt to control them but gave up. I called the police.

The children kept throwing rocks and tried to prevent a Palestinian family from passing. I went over to where the family was and attempted to escort them past. The kids kept throwing rocks and the soldiers kept doing nothing. After I made a second call to the police, they finally showed up and got the children under control. I asked the police officer to remain there to control the children. He told me I should leave if I didn't want to be attacked. Fortunately though, he stayed and got the children under control. After about 20 minutes, he left and the children began throwing rocks again

_______

the ISM unlike other organizations does not have the confidence of the israeli people and for good reason: their general outlook which appears to be: we'll be sort of non violent but we defend the right of others to target israeli children in the name of the resistance...that doesnt go over very well with some of us. (ISM have been caught hiding weapons for palestenains as well as all kinds of statements promoting violence)


we state clearly that Palestinians have the full right to resist the occupation with means that they think are suitable. We as the Palestinian Solidarity Movement have decided, however, that our tool for resisting the occupation is non-violence
http://friedensbewegung.zionismus.info/gemeinsam/andoni.htm

http://palestinechronicle.com/story-20020129050221695.htm
offer an alternative vision and outline for how nonviolence can be used effectively, though not exclusively, in resisting and overcoming occupation
While we do not advocate adopting the methods of Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics – both nonviolent and violent

[Tom Joad]

15. There is good that can be done.

Apparently you changed the post. Good thinking.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0605/S00317.htm

So, this is the irony of the situation. Palestinians and internationals peacefully demonstrate and get shot with rubber bullets. Israeli settler children throw rocks and hit and kick people and the soldiers refuse to stop them and instead attack the internationals.
Later in the day I was down on Shuhada street with another ISMer and settler children began throwing rocks at us again. The soldiers made a halfhearted attempt to control them but gave up. I called the police.

The children kept throwing rocks and tried to prevent a Palestinian family from passing. I went over to where the family was and attempted to escort them past. The kids kept throwing rocks and the soldiers kept doing nothing. After I made a second call to the police, they finally showed up and got the children under control. I asked the police officer to remain there to control the children. He told me I should leave if I didn't want to be attacked. Fortunately though, he stayed and got the children under control. After about 20 minutes, he left and the children began throwing rocks again.

So, this is Tel Rumeida during Shabbat, the Jewish holy day.

The writer of the story uses very strong words to describe the settlers, but not really much different than what you have said Pelsar, that these settlers are fanatical extremists. Their parents know that children under 10 not only will not be hurt by the Israeli forces, but will not even be arrested (nor would their parents be held responsible). So their children are taught to attack Palestinians. I have no doubt that if they were taught otherwise they would play together as any group of kids naturally would.

Read more about the Tel Rumeida Project.

[pelsar]

19. actually i disagree

the writer of the story uses very strong words to describe the settlers,


hes actually quite tame in his descriptions......i would use far harsher words, the use of children, the teaching them that throwing stones is "ok" , that religion gives one moral superiority etc is child abuse in a far more insidious way than mere neglect, its an attempt to insure that the next generation has the same convaluted sense of values.

the writer was far too kind

[Tom Joad]

13. The concept of "non-combatants" seems lost on the IDF

The vests are not bullet-proof, the internationals never think that. What my friend Brian thought was that it says "here i am, i am not trying to hide from you, i am making myself very visible to you, i am not here to threaten you." Sometimes that works. For Brian it did not work and his face was blown away on the streets of Jenin. For Tom Hurndall it did not work, he was killed in a free-fire zone shepherding children (and accused of wearing camouflage!). Rachel Corrie killed protecting a civilian's house (later to be demolished).

"ISM doesn't understand the difference between civil disobedience in a country at peace " the problem the IDF does not understand is the whole concept of CIVILIANS or non-combatants (a concept also being lost to the US military has in Iraq... its what happens during an unwinnable war, and when soldiers are taught racist attitudes toward the people they are occupying). Hence the children being led out of danger by Tom were seen as potential targets, and then Tom himself was the target. There were no shooters in the area, as the army was later forced to admit (after it lied, then lied some more, then kept on lying, but the Hurndall family pressed, pressed, pressed for the truth, along with the British govt that certainly is a bit more interested in its citizens than the US is of its own).

More importantly, the Israeli regime does not understand that people of Bil'lin for example, will not allow their village to be destroyed without some form of struggle. That is what is at stake here with the building of the Annexation Wall that will separate farmers from their crops. They know international law is on their side. So that so much of that struggle has been undertaken non-violently is remarkable, that there has only been stone-throwing (which usually comes *after* the IDF opens fire) at these demonstrations is remarkable.

It comes down to what we are discussing here. The fear of the Israeli State of a 60 year-old with diabetes that is carrying a cell phone and a video camera. It is the fact that he would be yet one more to get the word out to the world, and mostly the United States, as to what is happening. Another witness to the crime.

Israel does have something to hide. It fears another witness.

[pelsar]

14. ISM promotes violence.....

hence they have little to offer israelis. The ISM claim of "we wont be violent, but we believe the palestenains have every right to blow up civilians"...is hardly the route of Martin Luther King...who infact the ISM rejects:
______________________
http://palestinechronicle.com/story-20020129050221695.htm
offer an alternative vision and outline for how nonviolence can be used effectively, though not exclusively, in resisting and overcoming occupation
While we do not advocate adopting the methods of Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics – both nonviolent and violent
______________________

yes the vest are designed to show the soldiers where they are...but it doesnt always mean they are always seen: shadows, sun, etc have an affect on what can or cannot be seen......and some may get shot...thats what happens in war zones, just take it into account- pass the word

civilians, non combatants, combatants...your right i dont always know the difference, i must have missed the briefing. Whats the uniform of the jihadnikim again?

isnt THAT against intl law?....pretending to be a civilian while shooting at and blowing up people?.....sorry I forgot, the ISM promotes the palestenian violence as they see fit, for a second i thought the ISM promoted non violence as a philolosophy not as a strategy combined with targeting children and other israeli citizens

stone throwing is violent..did you try it in downtown Berkely?...tell me how it goes.

[Tom Joad]

16. You may have missed the briefing that people under occupation

have the legal right to armed resistance to the occupation.
It happened in Warsaw (did they wear uniforms?). It is happening in Baghdad.

When the Israeli soldiers bring terror to villages in Palestine or when US soldiers bring occupation and enforce the looting of Iraq's resources it is natural and right for people to resist.

[pelsar]

17. i missed the briefing...

where i was told that its ok for people to attack civilians while wearing civilian clothes and pretend its all legal....and then pretend its "illegal' when their killed or captured....

anyway its time for a clarification: from what i have learned about the ISM is that they stand with palestenian violence, whatever the palestenains do is "ok with them"..which means bombing resturants, targeting israeli children, shooting up holiday dinners, shooting missles at cities (5,000 kasams to date)_ is not just ok with ISM but in fact is defended by ISM

did i get that right? (this is one of those "yes and no type questions")

[Tom Joad]

23. No. You have that wrong.

[pelsar]

29. then explain...

is a palestenian shooter wearing civilian clothes a "legal" resistor?.....

[pelsar]

31. Warsaw....you keep trying that...

i usually ignore it since its not relevant: Its a sad attempt to place the palestenians in the same situation as the jews of the ghetto, trouble is even the most simplistic look shows how different they are:

In the summer of 1942, about 300,000 Jews were deported from Warsaw to Treblinka. When reports of mass murder in the killing center leaked back to the Warsaw ghetto, a surviving group of mostly young people formed an organization called the Z.O.B. (for the Polish name, Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa, which means Jewish Fighting

http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/wgupris.htm

the jews of warsaw were destined to die the death camps...i assume i shouldnt have to explain more than that.....further more, the jews attacked the german army..

a very very poor analogy attempting to equate the palestenains shooting missles at israeli civilian with the jews of warsaw......it probably works with those who know little and are too lazy to do a minimum amount of research, but not with those who know something....but i'm sure you have more irrlevant parrallels attempting to jusify palestenian murder attempts

[pelsar]

18. the "good piano tuner"

promotes killing israeli civilians...as that is part of the ISM covenent (the palestenian violence, however they see fit, is defended by the ISM).....i dont want anybody in my country that promotes killing me and my family....

[Tom Joad]

20. There is no basis for your statement. It is in fact, quite false.

So i expect you to repeat it often. "Catapault the Propaganda" as Bush would say.

ISM opposes any attacks on civilians, Palestinian or Israeli or US or Darfur or Guatemala or Egyptian or anywhere else. Period.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/about-ism/faq/

What is the ISM position on suicide bombings?

Attacks on innocent civilians, be they Israeli or Palestinian, are forbidden under most understandings of international law and ISM seeks nothing more for Israelis and Palestinians than the implementation of international law. We oppose the tactic of suicide bombings, especially those that have been carried out against civilian targets. We don’t however think that it is a more brutal tactic than dropping a bomb from a fighter plane on a civilian-occupied apartment building, firing a tank shell down a crowded city street, or placing dynamite in a family home. They are all brutal and repulsive acts.

But besides stopping Israeli and Palestinian attacks on innocent civilians, compliance with international law requires ending a long list of Israeli violations, starting with Israel’s military occupation of Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and including the occupation’s cornerstones – construction of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, seizure and destruction of Palestinian land and homes, restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement within the Occupied Territories with checkpoints, road blocks and curfews, denial of Palestinian rights to health, education and employment, arbitrary detention and multiple forms of collective punishment.

In order to stop attacks on Israeli civilians, we must look at the source of violence and address that, instead of arguing about whether one act of violence is worse than another. We need to treat the disease of all the violence and not just one of its symptoms. Occupation forces and policies are degrading and dehumanizing; they injure, kill the soul and make life near impossible for Palestinians, and all this even when the Israeli army is not actively attacking (i.e. carrying out operations in Palestinian villages, towns and cities).

That some Palestinians have turned themselves into weapons is not something inherent to Palestinians or Muslims. Rather, it is a tragic weapon of those who have nothing else to fight with. This does not justify the action. The ISM maintains that all military tactics should be stopped by all sides in favor of nonviolent alternatives. Most importantly, we’ve concluded from experience that as long as the occupation continues and the Palestinian people are denied freedom, human rights and self-determination, there will be those who will use violence against the underlying, systematic and foundational violence of the occupation.

The Palestinian community is almost completely united its call for an end to violence on all sides, starting with an end to occupation. The ISM joins the broader Palestinian community in this call.

The ISM seeks to bring about an end to violence by actively resisting the occupation through nonviolent means. The Israeli government has long worked to crush peaceful resistance, making it very difficult for Palestinians to act nonviolently on a large scale. We’re working to develop an alternate way of resisting - nonviolently- that can be effective. We will continue and we invite you to join us.

[pelsar]

21. and the opposite from the same ISM

http://palestinechronicle.com/story-20020129050221695.h...
offer an alternative vision and outline for how nonviolence can be used effectively, though not exclusively, in resisting and overcoming occupation
While we do not advocate adopting the methods of Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics – both nonviolent and violent
__________________________

so which is it?......the palestenian use of violence which i understand you defend inherently uses people who dont wear uniforms, hide within civilian populations...

so do you defend these actions or condem them.....?

seems the ISM wants to play both sides....pretends it doesnt like violence and then not only excuses it, but defends it use, all the while the people who do the violence that they are defending hide behind civilians



and the above article?..full of excuses an whining: s a tragic weapon of those who have nothing else to fight with... BS!

[Tom Joad]

22. Again, I understand for someone who serves in the Israeli military

you could not understand the distinction.
The concept of attacking civilians is prohibited under international law, and ISM condemns it.

The idea of self-defense and armed resistance against military occupation is recognized as legitimate under international law.

ISM does not participate in armed resistance of any kind.

I have on these pages said that the Warsaw uprising was a noble act of courage. It involved violence.

I am not a pacifist. Yet at the same time i have never participated in any violence.

[pelsar]

24. i understand very well the distinction in theory

unfortunately its more difficult in practice...perhaps you can enlighten me..how does one tell the difference between a civilian and an jihadnikim? (I've asked this before, and you haven't answered this)

and i see your avoiding answering.....that in itself speak volumes: you quote one side of the ISM which deplores all violence, then explain armed resistance is legit, which the ISM SUPPORTS.....and you fail to explain how your "armed resistance" which does not use uniforms, hides out in civilian neighborhoods, shoots rockets from next to apt buildings is all "legit" (actually "illegal" under intl law)


so i ask you directly once again: do you support the violence used by the Palestinians against us (me, my family) and do you see this resistance as legal given the fact that they fight "illegally"


btw it is you that is not answering the questions not i.......

[Tom Joad]

25. ...

[Tom Joad]

26. I think i have answered the relevant questions.

The question is, when are we going to end the occupation, the source of the violence.

[Behind the Aegis]

27. I wonder...

...when are we going to end the violence, the source of the occupation!

[pelsar]

30. gaza...doesnt look good....

given the fact that israel actually left gaza....and the result wasnt very encouraging from an israeli perspective (and i'm not sure from citizen gaza perspective either)...i find it debatable if the occupation is the actual core of the violence

did i mention that hamas defines the occuaption as all of israel?...or the fact that pre 67 there was also violence against israel?

i realize that mentioning them really messes up a simplistic "israel bad, palestenians good" scenario, but then thats how it is with us grownups.

[pelsar]

28. you avoid the difficult ones....

instead your full of "expressions" that mean little to those in the field.....the actual confusing environment you have to avoid since it ruins your simplistic black and white version.

thats why you have to avoid the real problems that actually exist....its too confusing for some


you can read my previous post and try again....i think it would be appropriate for one that seems to promote killing me