2011 July 7th: ISRAEL’S REACTION TO BETHLEHEM VISIT EXPOSES “WEST BANK BLOCKADE”

Thursday 7th July 2011: NO EMBARGO

Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Media Release

ISRAEL’S REACTION TO BETHLEHEM VISIT EXPOSES “WEST BANK BLOCKADE”

The reaction by Israeli officials to a plan by Europeans and other internationals to visit Bethlehem tomorrow has exposed Israel’s “West Bank blockade” according to the UK co-ordinator of the initiative.

Around 700 European and US citizens are due to land in Tel-Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport tomorrow en route to the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Rather than conceal their intention to visit Palestine however - the standard method of passing passport control - the group say they “are not going to hide the fact that we are coming to visit our Palestinian friends”.

According to the Jerusalem Post, “Such a response is likely to ensure… deportation.”

According to Haaretz, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netenyahu “has ordered Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to exert all efforts to prevent an infiltration into Israel's borders.” A statement from his office said, "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.

However, Mick Napier, UK co-ordinator of the “Welcome to Palestine” initiative, said “Israel’s reaction to this visit by British citizens and other internationals shows that its blockade is not restricted to Gaza, but extends to the West Bank as well.”

“About 600 men, women and children will try to get to Bethlehem to visit their hosts in Aida Refugee Camp. Since Israel controls all access points to the Occupied West Bank, we have no choice but to transit Tel Aviv Airport to get to our destination. Normally, we have to conceal our destination, and hide our interest in human rights; this time we will not.

“Israel denies Palestinians many human rights, including the right to host visitors. Palestine may be a huge prison, but even prisoners usually have the right to receive visitors.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

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. The date of the 'fly-in' was chosen to coincide with the 7th anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in 2004 that Israel's West Bank wall, which today almost completely encircles the city of Bethlehem, is illegal.
The ICJ ruling can be found here: 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, is 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. Updates will be available on:

www.scottishpsc.org.uk

and Twitter @scottishpsc

5. Jerusalem Post, 4th April 2011:

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

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

6. Netenyahu position from:

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

7. Statement from Netenyahu’s office:

Maan News Agency, Tuesday 5th July 2011:

“Israel prepares for pro-Palestinian airport protest”

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