So yesterday me and another ISMer were arrested in Beit Ommar after we entered a house occupied by soldiers to sit with the family inside. After about 40 minutes, the soldiers forced us to leave the house and called the Israeli police. One soldier stuck his hand in my pocket and stole 100 shekels (about $25). When the police arrived, me and a Danish volunteer were forced into a jeep and driven to the police station at the illegal Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in Hebron. For several hours, we were interrogated by both the police and the Shabak (Israeli intelligience agents). At around 2am, we signed conditions that we would not be in the southern West Bank for ten days, or we would face deportation. After this, we were driven in a police car to Jerusalem and we were not allowed to return to Beit Ommar to get our things. My money was also never returned to me.
Below is the link to the Maan Palestinian news agency's article about our detention:
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36220
Below is the call-out that went out over PSP updates half an hour after we were detained.
This evening, March 3, 2009, two internationals working with the Palestine Solidarity Project and the International Solidarity Movement were arrested by Israeli forces during a home occupation in Beit Ommar. For the last five days the Israeli military has been invading and occupying a home, forcing family members to confine themselves to one room in the house for hours at a time. When six international solidarity activists working with PSP and ISM approached the soldiers and demanded to know the purpose of their presence, they were verbally abused and beaten. However, at least two of the internationals managed to enter the home to check on the welfare of the residents.
Below is the link to the Maan Palestinian news agency's article about our detention:
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=36220
Below is the call-out that went out over PSP updates half an hour after we were detained.
This evening, March 3, 2009, two internationals working with the Palestine Solidarity Project and the International Solidarity Movement were arrested by Israeli forces during a home occupation in Beit Ommar. For the last five days the Israeli military has been invading and occupying a home, forcing family members to confine themselves to one room in the house for hours at a time. When six international solidarity activists working with PSP and ISM approached the soldiers and demanded to know the purpose of their presence, they were verbally abused and beaten. However, at least two of the internationals managed to enter the home to check on the welfare of the residents.
At one point during the confrontation soldiers forcibly removed the internationals. Dozens of soldiers as well as border police arrived on the scene as "reinforcements"and subsequently arrested two internationals that were pointed out by the other soldiers as having had worked in Beit Ommar for the previous week. They were removed to the settlement of Kiryat Arba for confinement and interrogation. Updates will be issued as they become available, giving both the status of the activists in confinement as well as opportunities to provide support.
Please consider donating to PSP's legal fund atwww.palestinesolidarityproject.org/donate.
Jeff, keep up the awesome work and give them hell.
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