2011, July 14th: ISRAEL TO DEPORT LAST UK CITIZEN TONIGHT
Tue 12th July 2011; NO EMBARGO
Scottish
See below the Press Release from Swansea Palestine Action relating to
From: Swansea Palestine Community Link [mailto:paulo@undercurrents.org]
Subject: Press Release: Relief as Welsh Women return from Israel
Relief as Welsh Women return from Israel
Palestine supporting women from Wales will arrive back in the UK today
from Israel. Their ordeal is coming to a close seven days after
shackled, handcuffed and imprisoned the 4 women.
Fiona Williams from Mumbles will be back in
Murphy from
It has been a day of confusion as for more than more than 12 hours no
direct word has been heard from the women leaving friends and
relatives to feel concerned about their safety. This morning the British
consulate revealed that they too are confused. Charmaine Farrow, Assistant
Desk Officer for the Middle East at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
wrote in an email today;
'My colleague from Tel Aviv had gone to the prison to visit Fiona and the
other British nationals this morning, when he got there he was informed
that they had been returned to the
colleagues were not aware of this until this morning.'
Paul O'Connor, a spokesperson for Swansea Palestine Action said today
'We are all relieved that the women are safely back in
forward to greeting them back as heroes. They stood up to the bullying
tactics of
their actions will pave a smoother path for future trips for those wanting
to visit the people of
Notes:
Latest updates on http://www.swanseapalestine.org
Details of the 4 Welsh women
Pippa Bartolotti, 57, deputy leader of the Wales Green Party
Pippa has lived in Malpas, Newport West for 25 years and has worked in
business most her life - from the fashion industry in London, to
electronics and software development here in Wales where she has held
various directorships. Ms Bartolotti, has lived in
Joyce Giblin
Joyce lives in
collected food with her mother and distributed parcels for the miners
during the strike.
D Murphy 56, Book keeper
D was born and raised in
years. She has 3 adult children still living in
book-keeper for Undercurrents, a local arts charity. She founded the
Swansea Palestine community link and has organised football matches
between
she drove to
Fiona Williams, 47,
Fiona lives in Mumbles and works for
worker. She is a single mum and has a son. She organised a community
auction to raise funds for herself and D to travel to
never been to
SPSC Notes for editors:
Photos of handcuffed and shackled
Background, previous media releases, and updates here:
1. “Welcome to
The English-language section of the French website can be accessed here: http://bienvenuepalestine.com/?page_id=232
According to the group:
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
The ICJ ruling on the illegality of
www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/131/1677.pdf
3a. 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
3b. 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
4. Details of the
5. Updates available at: www.scottishpsc.org.uk and
Twitter @scottishpsc : http://twitter.com/#!/scottishpsc
6. Letter from Caroline Lucas MP to William Hague:
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/11-07-2011-detention-activists-israel.html
7. Jerusalem Post on honesty ensuring deportation:
“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:
“
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
http://israelleft.com/2011/07/08/mobocracy-at-ben-gurion-airport/
10. Jerusalem Post report of arrest of Israeli Activists:
“Aharonovitch: 100 activists expected to land in
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
Haaretz, Wednesday 6th July 2011:
“
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:
“
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402478
13. For Desmond Tutu’s support of an arms embargo on
http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/military-embargo
14. Haaretz, Thursday 7th July 2011:
“