Part II of my ZGram series of "Orient House" continues.
I have three pieces before me, written on August 11, referring to the Palestinian suicide bomber and the subsequent seizure by the Israelis of the Palestinian Orient House in Jerusalem. I am missing a condensed article of the seizure of Orient House itself, but the reader can easily fill in the gaps.
This one below is titled "Israeli Brutality: Internationals, Palestinians attacked and arrested" and the the next two ZGrams will be Robert Fisk reporting on location.
What is significant for us is that, in front of whirring cameras, Israelis abuse, beat up and arrest Americans who have come peacefully to help the Palestinians, and this will have public relations and political fallout consequences the Israelis are going to rue.
We continue:
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JERUSALEM On Saturday, August 11, 2001, foreign civilians, demonstrating against the illegal occupation of the Orient House in East Jerusalem, were violently attacked, abused and arrested by the Israeli police.
At approximately 2:00pm, 35 internationals arrived at the American Colony Hotel, located a couple hundred meters from the Orient House. Bearing signs calling for an end to the occupation of the Orient House, an end to violence and justice for all people, the demonstrators formed a line along the sidewalk in front of the American Colony and began chanting: "No justice, No peace, End the occupation". Within five minutes and without warning the demonstrators were rushed by no less than 30 of Israel's Border Policemen who began violently snatching signs and elbowing people. After snatching most of the signs, the police officers then surrounded the demonstrators began pushing them violently, kicking them and cursing at them.
Some of the demonstrators receiving the blows began screaming, others pleaded for "no violence." Eleven people were arrested, 7 foreign civilians and 4 Palestinians (3 minors and 1 adult), -- the Palestinians detained were all observers and not participating in the international demonstration.
Those arrested were:
Andrew Clareno 26 years old Austin, Texas (doctoral student, University of Michigan)
Edward Mast 46 years old Seattle, Washington (playwright)
Heidi Arraf 25 years old Detroit, Michigan (University of Michigan graduate)
Linda Beavis 40 years old Seattle, Washington (high school history teacher)
Sofia Ahmed 26 years old Chicago, Illinois (social worker)
Julian Salingue 23 years old Paris, France (university student, Paris)
Peter Friis-Neilson 35 years old Denmark (Lutheran priest)
31-year-old Palestinian male
16-year-old Palestinian male
16-year-old Palestinian male
17-year-old Palestinian female (released after interrogation)
The next day, 3 Americans, one French, one Danish and one Palestinian were released. Two Americans, Andrew Clareno and Sofia Ahmed, and the two Palestinian minors remain in jail.
Andrew and the two Palestinians are being charged with attacking a police officer. This, despite video footage that clearly shows that the demonstrators were attacked by the Israeli forces and that they did not fight back nor resist arrest.
Other verbal and physical abuse
All of the internationals bear bruises from being kicked and dragged by the Israeli police. One American, Andrew Clareno, has bruises and welts on his right neck and shoulder as a result of being choked and dragged in a chokehold by an Israeli Border patrolman.
The Palestinian males were beaten, most noticeably, one of the 16-year-old Palestinian males, who was limping severely after the police interrogation.
All demonstrators were verbally abused and subject to vulgarities.
The young Palestinian girl, afraid and crying, was mocked by Israeli policemen.
At a similar non-violent demonstration the day before, injuries included: a baton to the head of an elderly Frenchman as he attempted to put himself in between an Israeli officer and a Palestinian being beaten; an injury to the ankle of a young Italian woman, as a result of trampling by Israeli police horses; severe beating to the face and body of an elderly Palestinian man.
The International Solidarity Movement
The International Solidarity Movement is an umbrella organization that is reaching out and working with foreign civilians concerned with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and seeing an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The International Solidarity Movement together with their Palestinian hosts initiated a "Campaign Against Occupation".
Thirty-eight internationals from Europe and the USA arrived to the Occupied Palestinian Territories last week to engage in direct non-violent actions, together with the Palestinian people, against the illegal Israeli occupation. The breakdown of the first delegation is as follows:
21 Americans
8 Italians
4 French
4 British
1 Danish
These activists will be joined by 25 more Italians on August 13, 2001 and 8 more French on August 15, 2001.
The International Solidarity Movement calls on Israel to comply with all UN Resolutions and International law. We call on our respective governments to cease active support of Israeli's aggression against Palestinian civilians. The ISM has formed an unofficial international presence and urges the international community to deploy an official international protection force in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to take immediate and concrete action to pressure Israel to comply with UN resolutions and international law.
For more information about actions, the arrests, or the ongoing Campaign Against Occupation, please call:
Heidi Arraf: +972-52-290-173
Neta Golan: +972-52-481-261
Palestinian Center for Rapprochement: +972-2-277-2018
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