We are British nationals who are currently staying within the Al-Azzeh refugee camp in Bethlehem. We have been offered evacuation from Bethlehem by the British Consulate but have chosen to stay in Al-Azzeh in solidarity with the Palestinian people under occupation.
The Palestinian people do not have the option of leaving. Recent experience has shown that an international observer presence is effective in limiting Israeli brutality against civilians. Our presence here represents the support of the international community. We can act as an accurate source of information for the British government and public, and for the rest of the world.
With Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it is clear that the supply of arms to Israel adds to the terror felt by the Palestinian people. We note that the present leader of the Israeli government, Ariel Sharon, has widely been held responsible for the massacres that took place in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Southern Lebanon in 1982. Our presence here is intended to prevent a repetition of these crimes.
We feel that Britain has a particular responsibility towards the Palestinian people due to the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the British withdrawal from Palestine in 1948. So far as we are aware, there has been no significant comment from the British Foreign Office in response to the latest Israeli military offensive of the past few days.
This stands in contrast to the breaking of diplomatic ties with Israel by the Belgian government and condemnation by other European Union governments. This silence implies consent. To us this lack of action is another example of the British governments foreign policy being determined by that of the United States.
As British nationals we demand that our government;
We call upon the British public to take action to help bring a peaceful resolution to this tragic situation by means of;
We recognize that our position here in Bethlehem places us at risk. Many deaths have already resulted from this most recent Israeli invasion, and this situation has been exacerbated by the deliberate obstruction of access for ambulances and medical personnel. We are neither eager nor prepared to die, but we will not turn our backs on the Palestinian people.
Martha Anderson
Philip Boast
Loukas Christodoulou
Jenny
James
Paul Stockley
==================
International Solidarity Movement
CONTACT: Zoë Elford (Chris Dunham's partner) 07903 495 791 or 020 7837 7694/ Andrew Wood 07973 953 446
Seven Britons, three women and four men, from London, Bristol and Manchester [1] will return to Heathrow Airport this evening after being trapped by gunfire in Bethlehem. The British Consulate negotiated their safe passage from the war zone yesterday after injury by gunfire[2]. The Seven travelled to the Occupied Territories last Friday, 29 March to take nonviolent direct action and try and stop the violence. Other Britons are remaining.
The seven spent yesterday in the safety of the British Consulate in Jerusalem. The Seven were escorted out of Bethlehem by in an armored personal carrier the Israel Defense Forces.
Chris Dunham, one of the seven Britons said
"We are glad to be coming home. Our main concern now lies with both innocent Palestinians and our fellow internationals who are attempting to shield civilians from the brutality of an invasion by one of the most heavily armed forces in the world"
He added,
"We demand that Israel end it's 35 year old illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and criminal attacks on the Palestinian population. We urge UK citizens to demand our Government follow the Belgian example by withdrawing support for Israel terrorist policies and end diplomatic relations"
ENDS
CONTACT: Zoë Elford (Chris Dunham's partner) 07903 495 791 or 020 7837 7694/ Andrew Wood 07973 953 446
Editors Notes
The International Solidarity Movement campaigns for the implementation of United Nations resolutions for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories and end the violence.
Flight details BA164 arriving at London Heathrow Terminal 4 at 20.40 tonight (Thursday 4 April 2002).
[1] The seven are: Joanne Bird (30) from Manchester, Emma Bleach student from Bristol, Chris Dunham (31), consultant from London, Ted Curtis, Kunle Ibidun (30) a technology consultant from Bristol, comedian writer Jeremy Hardy. and Lillian Pizzichini a writer from London.
[2] Two of the returning Britons received hospital treatment when they were injured by gunfire. They approached an Israeli armored personal carrier on Monday in Beit Jala, a small town overlooking Bethlehem. The Seven who were part of a group of 150 internationals visiting families and hoped their presence, as internationals, would protect Palestinian families from death or injury.
The silence of the United States government and the governments of the world to the Israeli atrocities taking place against the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank cities continues to be the green light needed for the Israeli government to terrorize, destroy and kill the Palestinian people. When the United Nations' Security Council passes a resolution demanding that a country take immediate action, then every pressure is imposed on that country to abide by this resolution (economic, political and even militarily). When will Israel be pressured to abide with UN resolutions recently passed --with the support of the US-- demanding Israel's immediate withdrawal from the West Bank cities? Imagine if this resolution was passed on a country like Iraq or Syria, what will the US be doing then? Even if Israel was a democracy, as it claims, the world should not accept this as an excuse to allow it to continue its undemocratic, inhumane and immoral actions against the Palestinians. Let then every country in the world claim "democracy" and receive international justification to terrorize and kill its enemies in cold blood.
At 12:15 pm, local time today, the Israeli army, reported on CNN, took the first step in its attack on one of the holiest sites to the Christian world. Israeli grenades blew up the back door of the Church of Nativity and army troops were reported to have begun shooting inside the church. One person, an elderly Palestinian Christian caretaker of the Church has been reported killed by Israeli sniper bullets and there are several reports on injuries inside the church, some extremely serious.
Again and again we say; if this situation was happening anywhere else in the world, the entire international community will be in an uproar and will be doing every thing possible to put an end to this massacre and genocide.
Yes, there are individuals in the Church that have surrounded their guns to the church leaders and have declared that they seek refuge and shelter. There are also numerous individuals and families (civilians) who are seeking shelter in the church. The reports from the church leaders are that the church has granted this shelter to everyone who has put down their arms. This is the role of the Church and its mission. No one is guilty in the eyes of the church. No one is an enemy in the eyes of the forgiving Church. The church is a house of comfort and peace. The individuals have refused to surrender to the Israeli army because of fear for their lives. This is one situation, just one simple example of how a third party is desperately needed to resolve the standoff. If no intervention takes place then those in the church, including the priests, will either starve or fall sick to the point of probable death; the situation continuous to deteriorate to the worse by the hour.
In other updates from Bethlehem, homes are being systematically stormed and ravished one after the other in the old city of Bethlehem. This is expected to expand into other areas of the Holy city and we expected our home to be a near future target. We have talked to several friends who faced these attacks as the soldiers walked in their homes. The Israeli soldiers have destroyed furniture and house utilities such as televisions, ovens, refrigerators, etc. They have also mixed food supplies such as sugar, salt, rice, wheat, milk, soft drinks, and other foods with each other on the kitchen floors so that they cannot be used, and many buildings and homes have been completely destroyed in order to allow access for big tanks to enter the narrow streets. These are real stories and you will know when this happens to us.
The sad reality is that we keep wondering --with all this that is happening-- what will it take for the rest of the world to take definitive and direct action demanding Israel to abide by UN resolutions and stop the genocide, will it be the death of one hundred Palestinians in one hit, five hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or even more? What is the number in your opinion?
Sami Awad
Holy Land Trust
www.holylandtrust.org
Palestine@holylandtrust.org
[Ramallah] - With Javier Solana due to arrive in Jerusalem this afternoon, the 34 International peace activists in President Arafat's compound, and the hundreds on the ground in Bethlehem and Ramallah, demand that Mr. Solana and his delegation come to Ramallah to witness the military assault on the civilian population and to come to the Presidential compound to stop the siege on the Palestinian people. Mr. Solana cannot, through his inaction and acceptance of Israel's terms, allow Prime Minister Sharon and the government of Israel to become the jail-keeper of Mr. Arafat and to continue to hold the Palestinian people hostage.
The conditions in the compound are worsening, as the water supply is depleted, food is in great shortage, and medicine is desperately needed. Throughout Ramallah, now in its sixth day of 24-hour curfew, people are being held as prisoners in their own homes by the Israeli assault.
International peace activists are prepared to meet Mr. Solana's delegation and bring it safely into Ramallah. The only threat to his safety would be from Israeli forces. It is imperative that the international community reject Israeli conditions and take responsibility for the desperate humanitarian conditions in Ramallah and all Palestinian communities.
for more information, please call:
Huwaida Arraf- 972-52-642-709 or 972-55-975-374
Adam Shapiro - 972-52-481-261
Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi - 972-59-254-218
END
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 03:20:25 -0800 (PST)
Ramallah April 03, 2002
1255: The one aid truck the Occupation Forces they then attacked. Soldiers took out the medical aid and stomped it into the ground they took out sugar, flour and other food aid and dumped it out and threw tea gas again at the group. Earlier they shot at a UN convoy. Now they are beating the protestors with batons.
1230: 2,000 people including internationals, Israeli and Arab civilians in 30 busses have arrived at Aram checkpoint located just before the Calandia checkpoint near Ramallah. Despite the horrible weather, rain, hail and wind they have attempted to through the siege of Ramallah to deliver humanitarian aid.
At Aram they were faced with an onslaught of tear gas so horrible that people are choking and have been made sick. Yet they are still committed to getting through and are still protesting at Aram with the demand to be allowed into Ramallah.
Israeli occupation forces have allowed one truck load of aid out of dozens that the human rights protesters brought to go through, loaded with aid.
Meanwhile on the ground in Ramallah there is one ambulances still free in the city attempting to provide assistance. We have internationals on that ambulance and more international civilians are going to try to attempt to deliver bread to families who have been unable to leave their homes for food or other assistance.
1255: The one aid truck the Occupation Forces they then attacked. Soldiers took out the medical aid and stomped it into the ground they took out sugar, flour and other food aid and dumped it out and threw tea gas again at the group. Earlier they shot at a UN convoy. Now they are beating the protestors with batons.
1230: 2,000 people including internationals, Israeli and Arab civilians in 30 busses have arrived at Aram checkpoint located just before the Calandia checkpoint near Ramallah. Despite the horrible weather, rain, hail and wind they have attempted to through the siege of Ramallah to deliver humanitarian aid.
At Aram they were faced with an onslaught of tear gas so horrible that people are choking and have been made sick. Yet they are still committed to getting through and are still protesting at Aram with the demand to be allowed into Ramallah.
Israeli occupation forces have allowed one truck load of aid out of dozens that the human rights protesters brought to go through, loaded with aid.
Meanwhile on the ground in Ramallah there is one ambulances still free in the city attempting to provide assistance. We have internationals on that ambulance and more international civilians are going to try to attempt to deliver bread to families who have been unable to leave their homes for food or other assistance.
1255: The one aid truck the Occupation Forces they then attacked. Soldiers took out the medical aid and stomped it into the ground they took out sugar, flour and other food aid and dumped it out and threw tea gas again at the group. Earlier they shot at a UN convoy. Now they are beating the protestors with batons.
1230: 2,000 people including internationals, Israeli and Arab civilians in 30 busses have arrived at Aram checkpoint located just before the Calandia checkpoint near Ramallah. Despite the horrible weather, rain, hail and wind they have attempted to through the siege of Ramallah to deliver humanitarian aid.
At Aram they were faced with an onslaught of tear gas so horrible that people are choking and have been made sick. Yet they are still committed to getting through and are still protesting at Aram with the demand to be allowed into Ramallah.
Israeli occupation forces have allowed one truck load of aid out of dozens that the human rights protesters brought to go through, loaded with aid.
Meanwhile on the ground in Ramallah there is one ambulances still free in the city attempting to provide assistance. We have internationals on that ambulance and more international civilians are going to try to attempt to deliver bread to families who have been unable to leave their homes for food or other assistance.
Bethlehem April 03, 2002
At least 30 Palestinians injured by IDF fire continue to take shelter in the three churches of Manger Square, including the Church of the Nativity, deprived of medical supplies and food and surrounded by the IDF. Among the injuries are four critical cases. An ambulance attempting to evacuate those critically injured was crushed en route to Manger Square by an Israeli tank in Wadi Ma'ali. Those trapped in the church are desperate for medical assistance and food but are unwilling to exit the churches for fear of immediate IDF aggression.
Yesterday two members of the Abda family were killed when their Bethlehem home near Manger Square was shelled. The victims, a mother in her 60s and her son, were taking shelter with the rest of their family from the IDF assault on Bethlehem. The survivors remain in the house with the bodies of their loved ones, unable to take steps for a proper burial due to the continuous IDF prescience in their neighborhood. International civilians in the area are considering a plan to escort the Abda family to safety with their deceased, as well as to deliver medical supplies to the injured people in the Manger Square churches.