14 juli 2003
1) PROTESTBREV TILL ISRAELS AMBASSADÖR OCH ANNA LINDH
ISM promenerar med Daniel Knutssons pappa

2) EIGHT PEACE ACTIVISTS THREATEN ISRAELI SECURITY
Trial postponed; Bail denied
(uppdatering om Tobias och Daniels fall från vårt huvudkontor)

3) LETTER FROM AN ISRAELI PRISON CELL

4) NOTES FROM JAIL

Kl. 10, måndag morgon knackade ISM på hos israels ambassadör. Tre nyligen hemkomna ISM-volontärer, och Daniel Knutssons pappa överlämnade ett protestbrev till ambassaden. Volontärerna har alla arbetat i Jenin och Nablus där svenskarna greps. Ambassaden vägrade släppa in ISMs utsända, eller komma ner på gata för att ta emot vår protest. Istället skickades en svensk polis som budbärare.


Kl. 11 fortsatte vi till UD för att försöka få en pratstund med Anna Lindh, som visade sig vara på semester. Brevet överlämnades istället till hennes sekreterare.



ÖPPET PROTESTBREV TILL ISRAELS AMBASSAD I SVERIGE

Vi i ISM Sverige vill härmed framföra vår starka protest mot gripandena och de aviserade deportationerna av två av våra aktivister på Västbanken, Tobias Karlsson och Daniel Knutsson. Ingen av dem har gjort något brottsligt. Tobias greps när han befann sig i ett tältläger i byn Arrabony utanför Jenin, på mark som Israel planerar att olagligt konfiskera för bygget av sin ”säkerhetsmur”. Det helt fredliga lägret hade inrättats på begäran av byborna, som fruktar konsekvenserna av att ännu mer mark tas ifrån dem. Daniel Knutsson greps i samband med att han helt fredligt deltog i undanröjningen av ett av de väghinder som hållit byarna söder om Nablus totalt isolerade under två års tid. Båda händelserna inträffade i ett område, Västbanken, där den israeliska armén saknar rätt att utöva jurisdiktion (enligt exempelvis FN:s resolutioner 242 och 338).

För att ha ägnat sig åt icke-våldsligt skydd av den palestinska civilbefolkningen mot en olaglig ockupation, har alltså Tobias Karlsson och Daniel Knutsson gripits. Inte nog med det: åtminstone Tobias har misshandlats av de israeliska soldaterna. Vi framför vår upprörda protest över att svenska medborgare behandlas på detta sätt av den israeliska armén. Tobias och Daniel har inte heller gjort något som kan ligga till grund för att utvisas från Västbanken.

Gripandena av Tobias Karlsson och Daniel Knutsson, tillsammans med åtta andra ISM-aktivister, ingår i den systematiska, upptrappade repression som Israel utövar mot vår rörelse. Två aktivister, Rachel Corrie och Tom Hurndall, har detta år mördats av israeliska soldater, och ytterligare en har skadats för livet. Också deras ”brott” har bestått i icke-våldsligt skydd av civila palestinier, och de har attackerats kallblodigt av soldaterna. Det öppet deklarerade syftet med denna repression är att driva bort ISM från de ockuperade områdena. Som Israels överbefälhavare Moshe Ya’alon uttryckt det vill man bli av med ISM, eftersom vi ”inskränker handlingsfriheten” för hans armé. Detta agerande saknar naturligtvis all folkrättslig grund. En civilbefolkning har rätt till skydd mot en ockupationsmakt som inte kan värna dess liv – vilket Israel uppenbarligen inte kan – och ISM är för närvarande den enda organisation som utövar ett aktivt skydd för den palestinska civilbefolkningen. Försöken att driva bort oss har ingen som helst legitimitet, och de kommer att misslyckas.

Vi kräver:

• att Tobias Karlsson och Daniel Knutsson, liksom alla andra gripna ISM-aktivister, omedelbart släpps

• att planerna på att deportera aktivisterna avskrivs

• att de gripna aktivisterna behandlas anständigt och väl så länge de befinner sig i israeliskt förvar

• att Israel erkänner palestiniernas rätt till skydd, i egenskap av civilbefolkning under ockupation, och inställer sina försök att driva bort ISM från de ockuperade områdena.

Stockholm, 14 juli 2003
International Solidarity Movement Sverige



ÖPPET BREV TILL UTRIKESMINISTER ANNA LINDH

Hittills har den svenska regeringen svarat på de israeliska attackerna mot ISM med att avråda svenskar från att åka till de ockuperade områdena. På detta sätt har man gjort precis det Israel vill: regeringen har bidragit till försöken att hålla icke-våldsaktivister borta, så att den palestinska civilbefolkningen står utan skydd mot ockupationsarmén.

Det står nu emellertid klart att uppmaningen till svenska medborgare att stanna hemma inte vunnit gehör. Svenska aktivister fortsätter att i större antal – de blir bara fler och fler – resa till de ockuperade områdena för att delta i ISM:s arbete. Det går inte längre att blunda för de svenska medborgare som befinner sig på Västbanken och i Gazaremsan. Nu är det dags för regeringen att besvara de fortsatta israeliska attackerna – som nu alltså även inbegriper gripanden, misshandel och grundlös deportation av svenska medborgare – med aktiva protester mot Israel. Så länge den svenska regeringen är tyst kommer Israel att uppfatta det som ett medgivande.

Vi kräver:

• att den svenska regeringen riktar skarp kritik mot Israel morden, gripandena, deportationerna och alla de andra attackerna mot ISM-aktivister.

• att den svenska regeringen ger i uppdrag åt sina beskickningar i Israel och på de palestinska områdena att göra allt för att bistå gripna svenska medborgare och utöva påtryckningar för att de ska släppas.

Stockholm, 14 juli 2003
International Solidarity Movement Sverige,


2) EIGHT PEACE ACTIVISTS THREATEN ISRAELI SECURITY
Trial postponed; Bail denied

July 13

[Tel Aviv] No decision was reached today in the case of the eight peace activists slated for deportation by the Israeli authorities. The prosecution asked for more time and the hearing was postponed until Tuesday July 15, though no specific time has been set yet. In addition, the 8 imprisoned ISMers were NOT released on bail - the prosecution, representing the state, being adamant on depicting them as ”great dangers to state security.” They were all transferred back to the Ariel settlement police station, where they will be held until the next hearing.

Israeli and international peace activists packed the Tel Aviv courtroom this afternoon, for a 1:30pm hearing, as the eight internationals were brought in. Lawyers for the 8 activists were: Shamai Leibowitz, Leah Tsemel, Gaby Lasky and Yoni Lehrnman. After approximately 5 minutes of proceedings, the prosecution asked for more time and the court was recessed. Advocate Shamai Leibowitz informs that the prosecution is looking to make this case more about the ISM and less about the individual activities of those arrested, seeking to deport the eight internationals based on their affiliation with the ISM.

Tobias Karlsson (SWEDEN)
Tarek Loubani (CANADA)
Fredrick Lind (DENMARK)
Bill Capowski (USA)
All arrested on Wednesday July 9 for sitting in a peace camp in Arrabony village near Jenin, to peacefully protest the confiscation of Palestinian land and the building of an apartheid wall, and:

Daniel Knutsson (SWEDEN)
Alex Perry (UK)
Saul Reid (UK)
Thomas Pellas (FRANCE)
All arrested on Thursday, July 10 for joining Palestinians in removing a roadblock that denies Palestinians the basic right of freedom of movement.

The State of Israel is grasping at straws in its attempt to brandish the ISM illegal. This strategy follows a list of efforts aimed at breaking the phenomena of international solidarity - from slander, denial of entry and deportations (approximately 60 in the last 15 months),to intimidation, physical threats, injury and even death. The Israeli government calls us a ”threat to the security of the state”; Our most dangerous weapons are our eyes, ears, mouths and the truth.


3) Letter from an Israeli prison cell

The following are notes written by Canadian human-rights activist Tarek Lubani, hand-written notes smuggled out of his Israeli prison cell, after having been arrested by Israeli Army for doing humanitarian work with Palestinians in a camp near Jenin:

July 10 2003 - 4 months 11 days for the man with ten kids who was charged with driving a stolen car. Day 2 for me. It's easy to remain positive when I know that friends and lawyers and perfect strangers all care about me being released. The longest I'll stay is a few days or weeks. Palestinian prisoners are some of the most easily forgotten victims of the illegal Israeli occupation - out of sight, out of mind.

The man of 4 months and 11 days is forgotten by all but his family. What does he share with them anymore? Nothing but memories.

10 July 2003 - Today, we woke up to the harsh flourescent 24-hour lights in our prison cell. The light did not invite any of us to life. Nor did the cold damp surroundings. We were not resting in our sleep but we were too tired to be awake. The guards shrill screaming woke us finally, having to bury through unconsciousness and lethargy in turn.

We were greeted with handcuffs and leg shackles before we got into a 1mX1.5m compartment of a transporter. The four of us tried to be comfortable on the tiny bench, but met only limited success. The time was 9:30 AM. Eight and a half hours later, I barely remembered what movement without shackles and handcuffs was like. We requested food for 2 hours before we finally got some pastries, coca-cola and water. We requested our attornies no less than a hundred times each. We refused to sign at least 2 Hebrew-only documents and one English document.

Just before 6 PM we finally saw a lawyer. 30 hours had passed since our original arrest. The lawyers were a breath of fresh air. They documented the abuses against us and told us what would happen next. Their patience was amazing. As predicted, the judge declared that she had no jurisdiction but would grant an injuction against our immediate deportation. Lots of good that will do! The government has constantly broken these injuctions and illegally deported internationals. Still, it was a victory of sorts. Now we sit back in Ariel, awaiting what comes next.

10 July 2003 - "A whole lotta of love!" He finally found a radio station he liked and returned his hand from the dial while screaming along at the top of his lungs. Now this was driving music. Zeppelin at their best. The van barreled along at 150 km/h accelerating with the tempo of the Zeppelin. Oh God. The part where the music screams, and he's screaming and going even faster. In most other countries in the world, it would be a problem that he had 4 shackled prisoners in the back seat and his police lights flashing. "A whole lotta of love" Yoki (Jacob) could do this because he had three stars on his shoulder. That made him the big man. Three stars allows you a lot of privilege. When Tobias wouldn't hand over his passport, it was Yoki who started beating him and nealy broke his arm. When I wouldn't sign Hebrew-only papers without my lawyer, it was Yoki who said "When you mess with me, you lose". As he drove like a madman, Yoki had our lives in his hands, and we couldn't ay a word. To say anything would have meant punishment - no food, no blankets, no paper. Any one of these things. Maybe all of them. And yet, Yoki remains completely unaccountable. He is part of a system that promoted him, because of his childishness and instability, not despite it. Nobody here talks about the man with three stars. To do so is to subject oneself to a new world of pain. I can't help but wonder: If Yoki beat us like this, what does he do to Palestinians who have virtually no recourse to the brutality?


4) Notes from jail
(The following notes were passed to us during the hearing)

Behind these walls, I am finally free, for it is the just fight, and I am at peace. – Tarek Loubani

I’ll do my best to see ya all soon. Keep up the good work. All is well with me. No worries. – Tobias Karlsson

I know that whatever happens I will have justice on my side. Maybe the laws of this state are not with me, but they are shadowed by human morality. – Fredrick Lind

Hello all –
Free Palestine!
See you all soon!
- Bill Capowski

FREDRIK