International Solidarity March to the Holy Sites of Jerusalem
Reports from Israel and Palestine
March to Jerusalem Holy Sites, Friday July 23
This morning we gathered at around 11 AM. The plan was to meet hundreds of Palestinians from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nablus at the Qalundia checkpoint and march toward Jerusalem in order to demand freedom of worship and access to the holy sites in Jerusalem. But many of these people never arrived. They were held up at various checkpoints within the West Bank. After nearly two hours of negotiating, about ten buses returned to Tulkarem and Nablus.
Internationals from a variety of groups joined with Israeli activists and Palestinians, both locals from A-Ram and those who had arrived from Jenin, to march to the Qalandia checkpoint. We walked along the path of the wall which will divide A-Ram in two. As we neared the checkpoint the number of military vehicles increased. At the foot of the bluff overlooking the checkpoint a group of soldiers attempted to stop the march. They were unsuccessful, standing with some amount of comic displeasure as this small, determined march pushed past and up the hill to stand with flags and signs above the checkpoint.
The soldiers, lacking anything else to do, stood idle at the base of the hill, waiting for reinforcements and playing with their tear gas canisters and their rifles. The reinforcements arrived shortly. A truck-sized APC unloaded about fifteen soldiers with riot gear and clubs for beating people. At this point, there were eight or so vehicles and this gigantic APC, now empty.
The situation never escalated. The soldiers were bored, directing traffic and becoming sunburned. The demonstrators, overwhelmed by the show of State force, were incapable of progressing any further.
As the demonstration dispersed, a smaller group of activists crossed to the Ramallah side of the checkpoint, where many of the soldiers equipped with riot gear (shields, rubber bullet guns, and clubs) were advancing on a group of young men from the nearby refugee camp. This story is repeated on a daily basis, with young men launching stones at the soldiers at the checkpoint, and the soldiers - from behind concrete barricades and stone-proof riot shields - firing steel coated rubber bullets and live ammunition at the youth.
This situation was fairly tense between the Palestinian shabab and the soldiers with Internaitonals in between. At one point a soldier raised his rifle to shoot one of the boys throwing stones. But before he could shoot, an Israeli activist stood between the soldier and the boy.
After two hours of back and forth, shots and stones and the usual dance, the soldiers returned to the checkpoint to continue their process of illegal and often arbitrary harassment of Palestinian people.
Legal Updates on Peace Activists Detained and Denied Entry into Israel
1. New York Graphic Designer Released from Detention-Allowed Entry into Israel
Ann Petter who has been detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport detention center since June 23 will be released on Sunday, July 25.
Ann had planned to join peace marches organized by the International Solidarity Movement and document the work of Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists, one of whom is a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein. Her case has received international attention.
Ann is expected to be released from detention by noon on Sunday, July 25. She will spend a few days in Israel and then plans to return to the United States. She will be available for media interviews upon her release.
2. Bay Area Activist Denied Entry-Returns to Bay Area, California
Jamie Spector, a Jewish-American social worker from the Bay Area, California, was denied entry to Israel after a hearing last Wednesday. Jamie will return to California and appeal the decision.
Jamie, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, (ISM) was detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport July 11. Jamie was planning to take part in non-violent demonstrations with Palestinians, Israelis and other international peace activists to
protest the Wall Israel is constructing in the West Bank.
For additional information read the following report:
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=455385&contrassID=1&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
Dutch Teacher in Detention Awaits Final Court Answer
Christine Grefer, a Dutch social studies teacher from Groningen, who was detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport July 9, 2004 received a hearing on Thursday, July 22. Christine had planned to join the International Solidarity Movement in non-violent actions to protest the Wall currently being built by Israel in the West Bank. Christine will be told on Sunday, July 25 as to whether or not she may enter Israel.
The International Solidarity Movement has not been declared an illegal organization in Israel, although it is becoming clear that affiliation with ISM is grounds for being refused entry into the country.
For additional information, please contact the International Solidarity Movement http://www.palsolidarity.org
Fear of Debt Greater than Fear of Death
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel is searching for a Ghanaian undocumented migrant worker and her 4-month-old child, both HIV positive. The child has a severe case of pneumonia and probably AIDS. The mother ran away with the child from an Israeli hospital several weeks ago.
Approximately three weeks ago a four-month-old baby with a severe case of pneumonia was hospitalized, after being sent to a hospital emergency room by the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Open Clinic in Tel Aviv. At the hospital the baby was hospitalized as an emergency circumstance, even though neither the mother nor the baby are insured. Israeli government does not offer any accessibility to medical care to undocumented migrants, but it does offer public insurance (for a fee) to their children. The baby’s father was deported several months ago during the massive deportation project, and the mother did not insure the child, most likely since she could not afford to do so.
Apparently, the mother was afraid of being penalized since she clearly could pay the hospitalization fees (one day is one month minimum salary). Despite of the risk for the baby's life, the mother took the baby and ran away.
Only after this occurred did the baby’s test results come back to reveal that he (and thus the mother as well) were HIV positive and most probably had AIDS. The hospital says that the baby’s condition is dire and that he is liable to die soon if he does not receive proper medical care.
Since this occurred staff and activists from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the volunteer doctor and health ministry officials have been making large efforts to track down the mother and child, but to no avail.
This story illustrates several issues in regards to migrant workers:
· The Israeli “emergency treatment” law orders the hospital to treat any person in life threatening situation, but leaves the hospital to collect the payment. Unlike some countries, in Israel there is no "free emergency care”. This results in pressure that is concentrated on the non-insured patient, which may cause him/her to leave the hospital at a great risk. A similar case, which resulted in a preventable death of a Nigerian patient, led to the founding of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Open Clinic in 1998; the law, however, continues to create these situations.
· Children of migrants are the exception, but many migrants in Israel are not aware of their children’s rights for public medical insurance or are unable to afford this insurance. This is particularly true for families that had one parent deported.
· In 2002, a quarter of the new carriers of HIV in Israel were foreigners, non-documented migrants. Most of them were uninsured and poorly treated.
· Non-Documented migrant with HIV or AIDS are not eligible to receive treatment in Israel. They are dependent on donations and research projects. In many western countries, foreigners with HIV/AIDS receive full treatment by the governments. Israel has first world medical care for Israelis and third world medical care for third world migrants who continue to die because of untreated AIDS.
· Non-Documented migrant women who are pregnant do not receive proper prenatal care. In this case, had the mother received prenatal care, her HIV would have been discovered and the Israeli health ministry would have provided her with treatment that would have prevented the fetus from being infected.
If the mother will turn up, we hope that the baby can still be rescued, but the mother will probably remain without or with poor medical care.
Migrant workers - Overview
http://www.phr.org.il/Phr/Pages/PhrArticle_Unit.asp?Cat=154&art=533&Pcat=4
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il
Please also see:
New Website Developed on the Issue of Christian Zionism
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1772&blz=1
Israel/OT: Knesset's approval of discriminatory law unacceptable
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150782004
Torn Apart: Families split by discriminatory policies http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150632004
Gaza reporters told not to cover internal strife http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=454434&contrassID=1&subContrassID=8&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
EU and Israel clash over support for UN resolution
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1267360,00.html
'Mossad fiasco' in New Zealand should ring alarm bells
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=6579
Reports from Israel and Palestine
March to Jerusalem Holy Sites, Friday July 23
This morning we gathered at around 11 AM. The plan was to meet hundreds of Palestinians from Jenin, Tulkarem and Nablus at the Qalundia checkpoint and march toward Jerusalem in order to demand freedom of worship and access to the holy sites in Jerusalem. But many of these people never arrived. They were held up at various checkpoints within the West Bank. After nearly two hours of negotiating, about ten buses returned to Tulkarem and Nablus.
Internationals from a variety of groups joined with Israeli activists and Palestinians, both locals from A-Ram and those who had arrived from Jenin, to march to the Qalandia checkpoint. We walked along the path of the wall which will divide A-Ram in two. As we neared the checkpoint the number of military vehicles increased. At the foot of the bluff overlooking the checkpoint a group of soldiers attempted to stop the march. They were unsuccessful, standing with some amount of comic displeasure as this small, determined march pushed past and up the hill to stand with flags and signs above the checkpoint.
The soldiers, lacking anything else to do, stood idle at the base of the hill, waiting for reinforcements and playing with their tear gas canisters and their rifles. The reinforcements arrived shortly. A truck-sized APC unloaded about fifteen soldiers with riot gear and clubs for beating people. At this point, there were eight or so vehicles and this gigantic APC, now empty.
The situation never escalated. The soldiers were bored, directing traffic and becoming sunburned. The demonstrators, overwhelmed by the show of State force, were incapable of progressing any further.
As the demonstration dispersed, a smaller group of activists crossed to the Ramallah side of the checkpoint, where many of the soldiers equipped with riot gear (shields, rubber bullet guns, and clubs) were advancing on a group of young men from the nearby refugee camp. This story is repeated on a daily basis, with young men launching stones at the soldiers at the checkpoint, and the soldiers - from behind concrete barricades and stone-proof riot shields - firing steel coated rubber bullets and live ammunition at the youth.
This situation was fairly tense between the Palestinian shabab and the soldiers with Internaitonals in between. At one point a soldier raised his rifle to shoot one of the boys throwing stones. But before he could shoot, an Israeli activist stood between the soldier and the boy.
After two hours of back and forth, shots and stones and the usual dance, the soldiers returned to the checkpoint to continue their process of illegal and often arbitrary harassment of Palestinian people.
Legal Updates on Peace Activists Detained and Denied Entry into Israel
1. New York Graphic Designer Released from Detention-Allowed Entry into Israel
Ann Petter who has been detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport detention center since June 23 will be released on Sunday, July 25.
Ann had planned to join peace marches organized by the International Solidarity Movement and document the work of Palestinian, International and Israeli peace activists, one of whom is a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein. Her case has received international attention.
Ann is expected to be released from detention by noon on Sunday, July 25. She will spend a few days in Israel and then plans to return to the United States. She will be available for media interviews upon her release.
2. Bay Area Activist Denied Entry-Returns to Bay Area, California
Jamie Spector, a Jewish-American social worker from the Bay Area, California, was denied entry to Israel after a hearing last Wednesday. Jamie will return to California and appeal the decision.
Jamie, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, (ISM) was detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport July 11. Jamie was planning to take part in non-violent demonstrations with Palestinians, Israelis and other international peace activists to
protest the Wall Israel is constructing in the West Bank.
For additional information read the following report:
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=455385&contrassID=1&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
Dutch Teacher in Detention Awaits Final Court Answer
Christine Grefer, a Dutch social studies teacher from Groningen, who was detained at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport July 9, 2004 received a hearing on Thursday, July 22. Christine had planned to join the International Solidarity Movement in non-violent actions to protest the Wall currently being built by Israel in the West Bank. Christine will be told on Sunday, July 25 as to whether or not she may enter Israel.
The International Solidarity Movement has not been declared an illegal organization in Israel, although it is becoming clear that affiliation with ISM is grounds for being refused entry into the country.
For additional information, please contact the International Solidarity Movement http://www.palsolidarity.org
Fear of Debt Greater than Fear of Death
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel is searching for a Ghanaian undocumented migrant worker and her 4-month-old child, both HIV positive. The child has a severe case of pneumonia and probably AIDS. The mother ran away with the child from an Israeli hospital several weeks ago.
Approximately three weeks ago a four-month-old baby with a severe case of pneumonia was hospitalized, after being sent to a hospital emergency room by the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Open Clinic in Tel Aviv. At the hospital the baby was hospitalized as an emergency circumstance, even though neither the mother nor the baby are insured. Israeli government does not offer any accessibility to medical care to undocumented migrants, but it does offer public insurance (for a fee) to their children. The baby’s father was deported several months ago during the massive deportation project, and the mother did not insure the child, most likely since she could not afford to do so.
Apparently, the mother was afraid of being penalized since she clearly could pay the hospitalization fees (one day is one month minimum salary). Despite of the risk for the baby's life, the mother took the baby and ran away.
Only after this occurred did the baby’s test results come back to reveal that he (and thus the mother as well) were HIV positive and most probably had AIDS. The hospital says that the baby’s condition is dire and that he is liable to die soon if he does not receive proper medical care.
Since this occurred staff and activists from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the volunteer doctor and health ministry officials have been making large efforts to track down the mother and child, but to no avail.
This story illustrates several issues in regards to migrant workers:
· The Israeli “emergency treatment” law orders the hospital to treat any person in life threatening situation, but leaves the hospital to collect the payment. Unlike some countries, in Israel there is no "free emergency care”. This results in pressure that is concentrated on the non-insured patient, which may cause him/her to leave the hospital at a great risk. A similar case, which resulted in a preventable death of a Nigerian patient, led to the founding of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel Open Clinic in 1998; the law, however, continues to create these situations.
· Children of migrants are the exception, but many migrants in Israel are not aware of their children’s rights for public medical insurance or are unable to afford this insurance. This is particularly true for families that had one parent deported.
· In 2002, a quarter of the new carriers of HIV in Israel were foreigners, non-documented migrants. Most of them were uninsured and poorly treated.
· Non-Documented migrant with HIV or AIDS are not eligible to receive treatment in Israel. They are dependent on donations and research projects. In many western countries, foreigners with HIV/AIDS receive full treatment by the governments. Israel has first world medical care for Israelis and third world medical care for third world migrants who continue to die because of untreated AIDS.
· Non-Documented migrant women who are pregnant do not receive proper prenatal care. In this case, had the mother received prenatal care, her HIV would have been discovered and the Israeli health ministry would have provided her with treatment that would have prevented the fetus from being infected.
If the mother will turn up, we hope that the baby can still be rescued, but the mother will probably remain without or with poor medical care.
Migrant workers - Overview
http://www.phr.org.il/Phr/Pages/PhrArticle_Unit.asp?Cat=154&art=533&Pcat=4
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il
Please also see:
New Website Developed on the Issue of Christian Zionism
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1772&blz=1
Israel/OT: Knesset's approval of discriminatory law unacceptable
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150782004
Torn Apart: Families split by discriminatory policies http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150632004
Gaza reporters told not to cover internal strife http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=454434&contrassID=1&subContrassID=8&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
EU and Israel clash over support for UN resolution
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1267360,00.html
'Mossad fiasco' in New Zealand should ring alarm bells
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=6579