techniques used by shin bet on palestinians

via UFREE

A newly released report revealed that Israeli occupation authorities detain more than 40 handicapped Palestinians in jails and detention centers.

The report also showed that hundreds of detainees are suffering from serious mental and psychological ailments, while some others use wheelchairs.

Director of the Department of Statistics at Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs, Abdel Nasser Farawana, said the occupation authorities refused to respond to the calls of human rights and health organizations to provide the detainees with medication in order to save their lives.

Since 1967, Israel did not exclude the wounded, sick and people with disabilities from arrest, and kept detaining thousands of handicapped Palestinians in its notorious prisons, Ferwana added.

The report marks the International Day of Prisoners with Disabilities adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.

Derry Friends of Palestine member Clr Gerry MacLochlainn and Jennifer McCann MLA part of CEPR delegation to Gaza

Clr Gerry MacLochlainn of Derry Friends of Palestine along with Jennifer McCann MLA were invited by the Council for European-Palestinian Relations (CEPR) to take part in the largest International Delegation to Gaza. The delegation of more than 100 government officials and advocates includes representatives from Ireland and 40 other countries and is the largest group of national officials yet to visit Gaza.

Saying it is long past time for the international community to step in and force Israel to end its siege on Gaza, a global coalition of statesmen and NGO representatives issued and adopted a unanimous resolution demanding immediate action through all diplomatic, cultural and economic means possible.

Before drafting the resolution, the delegation considered reports from experts documenting the following facts:

• Israel continues to maintain complete control over Gaza’s territorial waters, preventing all movement of people and goods by sea and limiting fishing to a distance of three nautical miles from the Strip’s coastline. Fishermen who defy the ban are shot at and /or their boats are confiscated. An estimated total of 4,5000 residents who had previously supported their families by fishing have thus been stripped of their livelihoods and the entire population of 1.5 million have been deprived of a vital source of natural inexpensive nutrition.

• Likewise, Israel prevents access to a 300-1,500m “buffer zone” along its border with Gaza, cutting residents off from one-third of their most arable land.

• All exports from Gaza continue to be virtually prohibited. Although a minimal amount of strawberries, flowers, peppers and tomatoes were allowed to be shipped out between November 2010 and May 2011, the average rate of export during that time was two truckloads per day, compared to Israel’s commitment in 2005 to allow the export of 400 trucks per day. Since May 12 of this year, no trucks have been allowed to leave the Strip. Without exports, it is impossible for Gazans to build anything close to a healthy, self-sufficient economy. Thus, the official unemployment rate now stands at 25.6%.

• Imports of construction materials continue to be severely restricted, when allowed in at all. Each month since January 2011, approximately 17% of the materials that entered monthly in the years prior to June 2007 (when the siege began) has been allowed in. One consequence is a shortage of 250 schools.

• The resolution calls for free excess for both people and goods by land, sea and air, through both Israel and Egypt.

Resolution

The time for words is past. Governments and human rights organisations worldwide must employ all peaceful powers at their disposal to force an end to the siege. These actions should include economic sanctions, cultural boycotts and diplomatic actions such as ambassador recalls.

Specifically, the International Delegation calls for all governments and NGO’s to use these measures to demand:

• An end to the prohibition on exports.
• An end to all import bans and restrictions related to consumables, healthcare and industry/business.
• The lifting of all control of Gaza’s territorial waters.
• The opening of the “buffer zone” along Gaza’s border with Israel.
• The free flow of people in and out of Gaza, limited only by reasonable security checks and document requirements.
• International acceptance of the Palestinian people’s democratic choices in the next elections, and a commitment to constructively engage with their elected representatives.

Delegation members will work through their own networks to lobby for the implementation of this resolution.

PLEASE JOIN AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF DERRY AND THE IRISH FRIENDS OF PALESTINE IN SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION TO END THE SIEGE!! FIND US ON FACEBOOK HERE

Clr Gerry MacLochlainn reports the following today:

I was happy to arrive again in Gaza and to visit old friends and new friends. However I was saddened to see that still nothing has changed from my last few visits. No rebuilding of homes, no cement allowed in.

Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their land

(Above photo) In Zionist settlements north of Gaza – the area in front of these settlements was ethnically cleansed by Israeli Invasion forces in Operation Cast lead – No houses were left standing – Only those who fled survived the slaughter – the intensity of the Zionist aggression was such that a young girl of 3 years was killed running from her home but her body could not be recovered for another 20 days. Such is life in Gaza. Thousands of people are still being forced to live in tents or one room shacks 3 years on from the brutal attack on the civilian population.

The scene of yet another murder

(above photo) This crater which you now see, was once a fisheries police station until a week ago when Israel decided it had not killed enough Palestinians for a while. They bombed it and killed several policemen. There were no survivors – one policeman’s body was thrown some 30 metres away

I then spent the evening in Derry’s sister city of Khan Younis, meeting with my good friend Ahmed Al Najjar from the Gazan Ministry of Education, along with the Mayor of Khan Younis, Mr Muhammed Al Farra.

pictured from left to right: Mr. Ahmed Al Najjar, Ministry of Education, Clr Gerry MacLochalinn, Mr. Muhammed Al Farra Mayor of Khan Younis, Palestine

We spent the evening discussing future projects of mutual interest and ways that the people of Derry, Belfast and Ireland can help to improve the situation in Gaza. More on this when we get home to Ireland.

Today, Jennifer and I met the Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyah. As Jennifer and I are both former Irish political prisoners, we asked the Prime Minister if there was anything that we, as former political prisoners, could do to work with, assist, or help the Palestinian prisoners. Hundreds of them were recently released by Israel under the “Shalit” deal and there will be 500 more released soon. The majority of these prisoners are released into Gaza, even if they were from the West Bank. So they wer free from Zionist prisons, but not free to go home to the West Bank. Jennifer and I were honoured to be told by the Prime Minister that a meeting will be arranged for the two of us to meet with the prisoners and their families later today to explore what further work we can do, Insha Allah.

After meeting the Prime minister, I was one of two people selected to attend and speak at a press conference being held today with the Samouni family.

Clr Gerry MacLochlainn speaking at the Samouni Press Conference in Gaza

The Samouni’s lost 29 members of their family, mostly women and children when their home was deliberately attacked. Israel has denied any wrong doing and after it’s own “investigation” has decided the Samouni’s case and other cases like these will be “dismissed and closed.” yet another murderous war crime being swept under the Zionist rug.

Insha Allah, tonight Jennifer and I look forward to an evening spent with good friends, good Palestinian food, and good discussions.

Jennifer McCann MLA and Clr Gerry MacLochlainn arrive in Gaza

Derry Friends of Palestine member Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry MacLochlainn along with Sinn Fein MLA Jennifer McCann from Belfast, both arrived in Gaza on Monday night to a big Gazan weclome. They are part of the (Council for European Palestinian Relations) CEPR’s largest delegation yet. A fact finding mission consisting of elected members and Parliamentarians from around the world.

Jennifer McCann MLA and Claire Short from the British Labour Party at refugee camp in Gaza

Jennifer McCann MLA reports from yesterday:

Jennifer McCann MLA with women from the Delegation

There’s over 100 people from all over the world on this delegation. Today we visited the Health Facility for wounded children and as you can see from the pictures they have lost limbs in the bombing, one other young girl of 10 years had been shot.

One of many children who have lost limbs when israel attacked their homes

We then went through Beit Lahia just north of Jabalia,the area was totally devastated in the bombing of Dec 2008. This is an area where entire families were wiped out in a single attack, and where the UN school was bombed. We visited the makeshift homes in one of the refugee camps and the conditions over 130,000 people are living in are atrocious, 7 people all living in one or two tiny rooms. They cannot rebuild any of the houses that were bombed as they can’t get access to building materials due to the blockade.

one of the thousands of homeless refugee familys, 7 members forced to live in one room

There were a number of other meetings and presentations with NGO’s and leaders of Civil Society here and we had a reception in the University for applied sciences, the young students have increased in numbers from 300 to 9,000. The Palestinians are very resilient people. There are students who had gained University places in other countries but can’t go due to the blockade.

Irish Ship to Gaza

Press release, Wednesday 9 November 2011, 4.15pm

7 OF 14 IRISH ACTIVISTS TO RETURN TO DUBLIN TOMORROW (THURSDAY10 NOVEMBER) AT 2.25PM

The Irish Ship to Gaza campaign has been informed by the Department of Foreign Affairs that seven of the fourteen Irish activists detained by Israel last week whilst en route to Gaza will be returning to Dublin tomorrow (Thursday 10 November) at 2.25pm on British Midland flight BD123, in Terminal One.

The seven returning passengers are ISTG National Coordinator Fintan Lane (Dublin/Cork), rugby star Trevor Hogan (Tipperary/Dublin), People Before Profit councillor Hugh Lewis (Dun Laoghaire), SIPTU activist Mags O’Brien (Dublin), Sinn Fein councilor Patrick Fitzgerald (Waterford), John Mallon (Belfast) and university lecturer Zoe Lawlor (Limerick).

In the last few days there has been much confusion and conflicting information about when the illegally detained Irish citizens would be released. The families of the abductees had been assured by the Department of Foreign Affairs that all those detained would be released by 3am on Tuesday morning. The release has come much later than hoped, and the continuing delay in releasing the remaining seven activists is a cause of great distress for their families.

Media attention has tended to focus on the plight of the detained activists. While we share this concern, Irish Ship to Gaza appeals to the media to refocus attention on the reason why those who were detained undertook this journey in the first place: namely, to show solidarity with the ordinary people of Gaza who have lost their basic freedoms as a result of a blockade imposed by the military forces of Israel, and to take action that would contribute to the end of that blockade.

Freedom Waves was never intended to focus attention on the 27 people aboard the MV Saoirse and the Tahrir, but on the 1.6 million people of Gaza – half of whom are children under the age of 16 – who continue to suffer collective punishment at the hands of the Israeli military. While 14 Irish citizens were languishing in prison in Israel for the “crime” of coming to their aid, the population of Gaza continues to languish in what is, in effect, the world’s largest open air prison.

This latest of eleven attempts to break the blockade of Gaza via the sea demonstrates once again that Israel is able to act with impunity when it comes to the welfare of the Palestinian people and anyone trying to help them. It is because of the continuing inaction of governments around the world, including the Irish government, that ordinary people feel compelled to act.

The brave activists returning tomorrow will be available for press interviews upon arrival in Dublin airport.

ENDS

West Belfast Sinn Féin representatives call for the release and repatriation of MV Saoirse passengers

West Belfast MP Paul Maskey and MLA Pat Sheehan MLA have called on to Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore to ensure the Israeli authorities expedite the repatriation of the passengers of the MV Saoirse including two of their constituents John Mallon and Phil McCullough.

The West Belfast MP met both families on the day of their relatives illegal arrests and has been in contact with the Friends of Palestine Belfast group on a regular basis with updates.

Paul Maskey said:

“I have been contacted by the family of John Mallon and Phil McCullough, two West Belfast passengers who were on board the Gaza bound MV Saoirse and are being held by Israel.

“Eamon Gilmore needs to do more to ensure safe return of the Irish citizens who were illegally seized in international waters and taken to Israel against their will. The 72 hour period that Israel said they would keep them in custody before releasing them has now passed yet they are still being held.

Local MLA Pat Sheehan said:

“Israel seem intent on playing games regards the repatriation of those passengers they illegally took hostage. Israel was wrong in the first place and the Irish Government must impress upon Israel that their citizens be repatriated immediately.” CRíOCH/END

Irish Friends of Palestine member John Mallon has been in touch with family today asking a message be delivered to us. We were informed that the Irish Prisoners are not co-operating with Israeli authorities and because of continued harassment some are now being punished accordingly.

In a phone call today John said that the Israeli authorities had already completed searches of all the prisoners. Then they approached John again at which point he was told to submit to yet another full search. He refused to cooperate in this farce and was immediately placed in handcuffs and shackles.

We do not know how he is physically but he remains in excellent spirits. He says that the hostages will not be intimidated by their kidnappers and they will continue to demand their civil rights and their release from the illegal kidnapping.

The Political Prisoners ask that you contact the Irish Foreign Minister and demand that he ensure the immediate release of the kidnapped hostages and to afford them proper treatment until they are returned to Irish soil.

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLAINTS TO MFA:
Eamon Gilmore TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs: 00 353 1 478 082
Email: eamon.gilmore@oir.ie

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR:
Israeli Ambassador: 00 353 1 230 9400
Email: info@dublin.mfa.gov.il

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A Reminder of what kind of rogue state we are dealing with, from our good friends over at If Americans Knew:

Isarel has more than 62 UN resolutions passed against it, which, it ignores. Palestine has none! Aside from the core issues—refugees, Jerusalem, borders—the major themes reflected in the U.N. resolutions against Israel over the years are its unlawful attacks on its neighbors; its violations of the human rights of the Palestinians, including deportations, demolitions of homes and other collective punishments; its confiscation of Palestinian land; its establishment of illegal settlements; and its refusal to abide by the U.N. Charter and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Full list of 62 resolutions against Israel up to 1992 can be seen HERE

In a statement today Sinead MacLochlainn National Chair of the Irish ship to Gaza Committee condemned the reckless behaviour of Israeli Forces as they violently seized the Saoirse and Tahrir boats on Friday. She was speaking as the following harrowing account came through from one of the Irish hostage in Govin Prison.

“The takeover of the MV Saoirse was violent and dangerous. Despite very clear protests from the occupants of the two boats that they did not want to be taken to Israel, they were forcibly removed from the boats in a violent manner. The whole takeover took about three hours. It began with Israeli forces hosing down the boats with high pressure hoses and pointing guns at the passengers through the windows. I was hosed down the stairs of the boat. Windows were smashed and the bridge of the boat nearly caught fire. The boats were corralled to such an extent that the two boats, the Saoirse and the Tahrir, collided with each other and were damaged, with most of the damage happening to the MV Saoirse. The boats nearly sank. The method used in the takeover was dangerous to human life. The Israeli forces initially wanted to leave the boats at sea, but the abductees demanded that they not be left to float at sea, for they would have been lost and possibly sunk. All belongings of the passengers and crew were taken from them and they still do not know if and what they will get back. The 14 Irish citizens remain in Givon prison.

Sinead MacLochlainn said.

“The Israeli forces acted with complete disregard for Human life never mind human rights. Please contact your local elected representative and the Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore – tell them about this act of piracy and tell them that we expect our colleagues to be treated properly from here on in and for their speedy and safe release from this illegal custody.” She continued “I also want to commend the hostages for their courage and steadfastness and congratulate them for establishing their political prisoner committee which succeeded in winning important concessions from the Zionist authorities,”

ENDS

press@derryfriendsofpalestine.org

We are receiving direct information from David Heap one of the Canadian prisoners who was abused and tasered by Israeli Commandos as their boat was seized. This is a serious development and Sinn Fein’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Padraig MacLochlainn TD is currently speaking to the Irish Foreign Ministry to seek clarification from our prisoners directly as to whether any of them were tasered or otherwise injured by Israeli forces.

We are also being told that the Irish prisoners have organised themselves to ensure their basic rights are honoured during their captivity. We are also told that Mags O Brien and Zoe Lawler, and the other women are being held separately from the men. The prisoners committee is seeking direct contact with the women prisoners.

Our Canadian brother David has managed to smuggle the letter out to the world. His letter confirms that the Irish prisoners, 6 of whom are Irish Republicans, have created a Political Prisoners Committee. The four Canadians imprisoned with the Irish have joined the Irish Prisoners Committee for a united front against their captors:

David Heap of the Canadian boat states:

““The four of us, Ehab and I (Cdn), Michael (Aus) and Hassan (UK) have joined with the Irish in their political prisoners’ committee in order to press our collective demands:

· association in the block – i.e. open cells
· adequate writing and reading material
· free communication with outside world – i.e. regular phone calls
· information about shipmate women held at same prison

Additional information tells us that David and possibly others were tasered when the ships were boarded

“Although I was tasered during the assault on the Tahrir, and bruised during forcible removal dockside”

Note:the two women from the Irish ship (Zoe Lawler and Mags O’Brien are held elsewhere)

WE EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL UPDATE TODAY ON THE CONDITION OF THE IRISH PASSENGERS, PLEASE CHECK BACK

Rally for Kidnapped MV Saoirse Passengers

The Irish citizens on the MV Saoirse, along with their Canadian counterparts who were on board the Canadian ship (Tahrir) were taken into custody and their vessels were stolen and then taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Once there, these Irish and Canadian citizens were transferred to the custody of the Israeli police and the immigration authorities then charged with the absurd “crime” of entering Israel illegally. When in fact, they were kidnapped in international waters on their way to the city of Gaza, in the country of Palestine. They never entered Israeli waters.

We demand their immediate release, unharmed, and without charge along with the return of the MV Saoirse which is now stolen Irish property.

DERRY RALLY

Sinead MacLochlainn- Chair Derry Friends of Palestine and Irish Ship to Gaza Committee
Raymond McCartney-Sinn Fein MLA
Gerry MacLochlainn-Sinn Fein Councillor, Irish Ship to Gaza International Committee Member, member Derry Friends of Palestine
Charlie McMenamin-former passenger of the sabotaged MV Saoirse, member and organiser for Derry Friends of Palestine
Rik Walton- former passenger of the sabotaged MV Saoirse, member of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign Donegal.

plus friends, family and supporters of the Irish Ship to Gaza

Message of support received from Colm Eastwood MLA SDLP, Padraig MacLochlainn TD Sinn Fein Foreign Affairs person.l

Local supporting organisations gather behind their banners

Charlie McMenamin-former passenger onboard the sabotaged MV Saoirse

Local children attend rally carry placards in protest against Israel