Israeli forces raided the ISM office this morning, confiscating equipment and material and snatching three women. At 12:30pm on Friday, May 9, approximately 20 military vehicles, army jeeps and a large armored personnel carrier (intended for many arrests) surrounded the ISM media office in Beit Sahour.
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
Friday, May 9, 2003
For Immediate Release
ISRAELI FORCES RAID ISM OFFICE
[Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine] Israeli forces raided the ISM
office this morning, confiscating equipment and material and
snatching three women. At 12:30pm on Friday, May 9, approximately 20
military vehicles, army jeeps and a large armored personnel carrier
(intended for many arrests) surrounded the ISM media office in Beit
Sahour. Dozens of soldiers, border police and civilian police
officers raided the ISM office, confiscating all computers, not only
in the ISM office but in the nearby office of the Palestinian Centre
for Rapprochement. Files, CD, and photos were all pillaged, while
soldiers broke equipment and damaged office space. Israeli forces
kidnapped Palestinian volunteer, Fida, American volunteer, Flo, and
a worker with Human Rights Watch visiting the office. At the time of
this writing, Fida has been released, and the internationals seem to
have been moved to the office of the Israeli Ministry of Interior,
most probably for deportation.
The Israeli government has declared an open war on international
peace and human rights workers. Israeli forces are doing everything
in their power to specifically prevent the nonviolent resistance to
their military rule. The stepped-up harassment of internationals and
journalists in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is nothing short
of a further attempt to shield from the international community the
brutality of daily Israeli military actions against the Palestinian
people.
The ISM, however, has no plans to leave the Palestinian areas nor to
reduce our actions or our efforts. We need your help. Please protest:
In the US: Contact your congressperson, the State Department and the
White House using this link.
http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm or http://www.congress.gov
Also call the State Department and demand action. STATE DEPARTMENT 1-
202-647-5150
For UK, Please call THE FOREIGN OFFICE 020 7008 1500, Also Contact
your MP and Prime Minister
For Israel Contact Israeli Minister of Interior, Tel: +972-2-629-
4701; Fax: +972-2-629-4750
Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom Fax: +972-2-5303704 e-mail:
sar@mofa.gov.ilIsraeli
Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz Fax: +972-3-6916940, 6976990 e-mail:
sar@mod.gov.il
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fax: (+972-2) 566-4838 or 651-3955 or
651-2631
For Canada: Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham, House of
Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6; Fax 613-996-3443
Everyone, Contact the Israeli embassy in your country
See our website: www.palsolidarity.org for more ways to help or get
involved.
For more information, please call: +972-2-277-4602