2011, July 12th: DEPORTED BRITON: “ISRAEL’S BATTLE IS LOSING IT THE WAR”

Tue 12th July 2011; NO EMBARGO

 

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Media Release

 

DEPORTED BRITON: “ISRAEL’S BATTLE IS LOSING IT THE WAR”

 

Internationals handcuffed and shackled, detained at Tel Aviv airport 8 July 2011 (in picture Frank Thomas and John Lynes from the UK, 2nd and third form left respectively)A Scot deported from Israel because he intended to visit the West Bank town of Bethlehem says Israel’s overreaction has backfired. Mick Napier said, “Israel thinks it has won the battle, but doesn’t yet understand it is losing the war.”

 

Around 700 internationals had intended to travel to Bethlehem via Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport to meet with Palestinian families and farmers there, and to highlight what they refer to as “Israel’s blockade of the West Bank”. However, at the request of Israeli authorities, most were stopped by airlines from boarding their outbound flights, and over 120 of those that landed at Tel-Aviv were arrested by Police and airport border guards after citing Bethlehem as their final destination.

 

Napier was deported on Monday night along with an 83 year-old member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, John Lynes. UK consular staff in Israel say authorities there intend to deport the remaining 10 UK citizens as and when spaces become available on flights.

 

Mick Napier shows how internationals were handcuffed and shackled by Israeli police, 8 July 2011Napier, chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and UK co-ordinator of the Welcome to Palestine initiative, issued a statement condemning Israel’s “lawlessness”.

 

“We were snatched, held, and expelled without any explanation. Despite repeated efforts, we were unable to find out what we were supposed to be guilty of. It was a situation of lawlessness.

 

“There has been much misinformation suggesting that we came here to demonstrate in the airport and cause disorder wherever we went. The office of Prime Minister Netenyahu said, ‘This planned event is a continuation of the attempts to undermine Israel's right to exist’, and ordered a major police and security operation to prevent it.

 

“In reality our protest was simply to refuse to conceal our intention to go to the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Our aim was to highlight that Israel routinely deports those who indicate any sympathy whatsoever with Palestine.

 

“If anything has undermined ‘Israel's right to exist’, it is the very actions of the state itself.

 

“Israel thinks it has won the battle, but doesn’t yet understand it is losing the war.”

 

 

ENDS 

83 year-old John Lynes and SPSC chair Mick Napier, on arrival at Luton Airport last night.

 

 

 

Notes for editors:

 

Photos are free to use.

 

 

Background, previous media releases, and updates here:
http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3653;welcome-to-palestine-israel-arrests-uk-and-other-nationals-en-route-to-bethlehem&catid=500;news&Itemid=200433

 

 

1. “Welcome to Palestine” is a French initiative that now has participation from across Europe and the USA.

The English-language section of the French website can be accessed here: http://bienvenuepalestine.com/?page_id=232

 

According to the group:

 

Israel’s standard practice of deporting anyone that they believe supports Palestine means than human rights activists invariably have to lie in order to pass passport control at Tel-Aviv.

 

However, having nothing to hide, and coming with totally peaceful intentions, we have decided that we are no longer willing to lie in order to do something that no other state would consider illegal.

 

Government agencies have been informed, and the Israeli authorities have been forwarded all information on our intentions.

 

Contrary to claims that we aim “to spread chaos at Tel Aviv airport”, our only aim is visit Palestinian families, share their daily life for a week, visit the towns, villages and refugee camps, discover the difficulties encountered by their inhabitants, and experience their culture and expectations.

 

 

2. Organisers of the Palestine visit chose the date of the 'fly-in' to coincide with the 7th anniversary of the International Court of Justice ruling on 9th July 2004 that Israel's West Bank wall, which today almost completely encircles the city of Bethlehem, is illegal.

The ICJ ruling on the illegality of Israel’s Apartheid Wall can be found here: www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/131/1677.pdf

 

 

3. The UK co-ordinator of the initiative is Mick Napier, who, along with the majority of international participants, was due to arrive in Ben Gurion Airport on Friday July 8th. 

Mick Napier is the chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and can be contacted on:
00 44 (0)7931200361

 

 

4. Sofiah Macleod is the UK-based contact for press enquiries.

Sofiah Macleod: + 44 (0)7958002591 or + 44 (0)131 620 0052 or + 44 (0) 7401631658

Email: july8@scottishpsc.org.uk

 

 

5. Details of the UK citizens who had planned to visit Bethlehem, including statements and photos of some, here:

http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3659;details-of-the-12-british-nationals-amongst-internationals-arrested-a-detained-in-israel&catid=500;news&Itemid=200433

 

 

6. Updates available at: www.scottishpsc.org.uk and

Twitter @scottishpsc : http://twitter.com/#!/scottishpsc 

 

 

7. Jerusalem Post on honesty ensuring deportation:

Jerusalem Post, 4th April 2011:

“700 pro-Palestinian activists plan to land in Ben-Gurion”

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=227768

 

 

8. Quote from New York Times reference criticism of Israeli leaders’ overreaction:

“Israel Blocks Flights to Protest Gathering”

New York Times, 8th July 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/world/middleeast/09mideast.html

 

 

9. Details of Jerusalem Post reporter, Larry Derfner’s arrest:

“Mobocracy at Ben-Gurion Airport” by Larry Derfner, 8th July 2011

http://israelleft.com/2011/07/08/mobocracy-at-ben-gurion-airport/

 

 

10. Jerusalem Post report of arrest of Israeli Activists:

Jerusalem Post, Friday 8th July 2011

“Aharonovitch: 100 activists expected to land in Israel”

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=228484

 

 

11. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu “has ordered Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to exert all efforts to prevent an infiltration into Israel's borders.”

Haaretz, Wednesday 6th July 2011:

“Israel deports five ahead of anticipated influx of pro-Palestinian activists”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-deports-five-ahead-of-anticipated-influx-of-pro-palestinian-activists-1.371776

 

 

12. Statement from Netenyahu’s office:

"This planned event is a continuation of the attempts to undermine Israel's right to exist and to attempt to breach its borders and sovereignty by sea, land and by air," according to the MAAN news agency.

Maan News Agency, Tuesday 5th July 2011:

“Israel prepares for pro-Palestinian airport protest”

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402478

 

 

13. For Desmond Tutu’s support of an arms embargo on Israel, see Global BDS Movement:

http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/military-embargo

 

 

 

13. Haaretz, Thursday 7th July 2011:

“Israel instructs foreign airlines to prevent departure of 300 pro-Palestinian activists”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-instructs-foreign-airlines-to-prevent-departure-of-300-pro-palestinian-activists-1.371988